First Comes Marriage, Then Second Comes Love
by 2three.abi
Summary: Then I heard him say, "I can't believe I'm going to marry an idiotic and ugly woman like you!" I turned to him, his eyes were all on me, his index finger was pointing directly at me. The next thing I knew, the green stapler came flying towards his face. EPILOGUE ADDED. NOW COMPLETE.
1. I do's

Disclaimer: No. _Never._

A/N: This chapter is edited.

* * *

**Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years. **

**-Simone Signoret  
**

* * *

**CHAPTER 1: I do's**

**MIKAN'S POV**

"I do."

I almost choked on my words, as my mouth moved mechanically on its own, saying the two words I dreaded the most since three months ago.

This wedding was out of my plans, out of my decisions. But who am I to disobey my parents? Just like what they said, I was only their daughter. I was not in the position to defy them.

I could awfully remember how my brothers, Tsubasa-nii and Youichi, tried to talk to them but they just wouldn't listen. And that's the time I gave up, accepting the fact that what I want didn't really matter to my parents.

I closed my eyes as I try to hold back the unnecessary tears to come rolling down my cheeks. I sighed when I heard him say 'I do', too. I tried to keep my sobs to myself, but an audible sound passed through my lips and tears came falling from my eyes. I even heard some people sigh; some even said '_It's so sweet! She's crying because of joy!_'

NOT!

I'm crying because I'm sad, for God's sake! Who would want to marry a man who I just met three months ago?

And three months ago, I've finally came into a firm conclusion.

After the things I did for them, the things I thought that would make them happy; my parents never did fail to make my life miserable.

**END OF POV**

* * *

**NORMAL POV**

Natsume heard her sobs, which made him roll his eyes subconsciously. He knew how this girl hates this marriage thing, but the same goes for him as well.

'_She doesn't have to make it more obvious, does she?_' Natsume thought, distracting himself from the girl's silent sobs by pretending to pay attention to the priest.

'_Wait, this girl will be my wife any moment now_'. He sighed. '_I can really jump for joy. Yey!' _he thought sarcastically, half-listening to the priest's blah blahs.

Fortunately for the both of them, some people took her tears and sobs as 'tears of joy', though he knew better. He looked at her and smirked. Her hazel eyes widened a bit when Natsume motioned to wipe the tears on her cheeks, lifting her veil a little, with a small smile plastered on his handsome face. Some of the guests, mostly women, married or not, sighed dreamily.

A blush crept into the woman's face, as he looked at her with that smile on his face.

'_What's her name again?' _his forehead knotted; as he tried to search his mind for the name of this woman beside him. He unconsciously touched his forehead, not minding the woman and the priest, who were both eyeing him curiously.

It seemed funny when the both of them were now marrying each other, but they couldn't even remember each other's names.

As for Mikan, she didn't pay attention to his name… as long as he was her husband, as long as this wedding was done and as long as her parents were happy. This wedding was not her choice, which was why she didn't even bother to remember his name. She knew it was rude, not knowing what his name was, but what else could she do? She was only forced into this marriage, that's why she didn't, doesn't and won't even care.

But as for Natsume, let's just say that he has some knack to forget one's name easily, especially when that person has something to do with what his mother let him do.

Mikan sighed. After this whole wedding thing, her life would probably change. For the better?

_No,_ she thought, answering her own question.

She sighed once again, this time to calm her nerves as the priest would now say the words she didn't even want to hear.

'_Waaa! He's not even my boyfriend! Noooo! My precious first kiss!' _she thought, crying mentally, before pausing for a moment. '_Wait. He's already my husband. I want to scream! I want to cry! Grandpa, where are you? Save me! Waaaa!'_

'_Kimiko? No. That's definitely not it,' _Natsume thought, still thinking about her name._ 'Miki? That's not it either. What is the name of this idiotic girl again? Hn. I totally forgot. But it has the syllable 'Mi', right? Aha! I got it! Her name's Mi_-'

"You may now kiss the bride."

His trail of thoughts was interrupted by these words.

"Pardon?"

The priest let out a cough while adjusting his glasses. He then looked at the book he was holding and repeated the words he said earlier.

It was only in this wedding that he has to repeat those words, as the groom seemed to be thinking of something else a few moments before.

The priest coughed once again as he pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose before saying, "You may now kiss the bride."

"Ah. Kiss Mimi. Okay," he said with his normal voice, cold and confident, though a hint of uncertainty could be felt on his tone. The woman, his wife now, beside him blushed, and he took note on his mind that Mimi was her name. One side of his lips curled to a smile; as he leaned down to kiss her.

But before his lips touched hers, Natsume heard a voice behind him, saying, "Oh! How sweet! He's now calling our daughter with her nickname, dear!"

"Yuka darling, I think it is okay now because they're already married. Right?"

He almost jerked away from his _wife_ when he heard those words. '_So Mimi is not her name, huh? Whatever,'_ he thought before letting his lips touch hers.

* * *

Mikan could even see the numerous flashes of the camera even though her eyes were closed. She fought the urge to push this man, her _husband_, away from her. She slightly opened her left eye and peeked at him.

Mikan saw that his eyes were also closed, thinking he was savouring the kiss, without knowing that he was still thinking what her name was. She sighed and closed her eyes, letting him kiss her fully on the lips…

This way, the reporters and the people around them would have something to talk about.

Yes. Her wedding with this guy was being televised all over Japan. Coming from two of the wealthiest families in the country, their engagement spread like a wildfire three months ago. And just a few days ago, the news about their wedding made the people around them gawk at them like mad. Reporters were following their every move, paparazzi's were often spotted near their home.

'_So maybe_,' she thought,_ 'this kiss will shut them up, somehow_. '

Mikan opened her eyes when she felt him pull away from the kiss. She saw a pair of crimson eyes, staring down at her. She gulped when she felt the coldness coming from his eyes. She then turned her attention to the photographers and to her parents.

Her mother was now smiling at her, with her hands holding her father's arm. At last, the event their parents prepared for almost three months was done in a matter of an hour and a half. She sighed once again, before taking a look on her husband.

He was standing beside her, in his black tuxedo, looking gorgeous while glancing at the camera. When he noticed her looking at him, he turned his attention to her and put his arms around her waist. He moved his mouth near her ears and whispered something to her.

"Oi, baka. Don't frown. You look ugly."

She quickly moved her head to face him, her forehead knotted because of what he said.

"Did you just-"

"Call you ugly? Yeah. I think I did. Now, shut up. They're coming this way."

That kept her mouth wide open. She just married an arrogant and conceited man! And yes, she realized that a few months ago. When she met this… this freakin' handsome man beside him!

Natsume smirked when he noticed her expression. He moved towards her and touched her chin to close her mouth. Mikan was about to say something when he put a finger over her lips, stopping her from saying anything.

A few seconds later, their relatives made their way to them to congratulate them. A few photos were taken, a few videos were taped. The new couple then readied themselves to leave for their wedding's reception. Mikan was fixing her gown, trying not to trip when they had to go out of the church.

People started to move onto the church's entrance, waiting for the both of them to make their exit. But unfortunately, due to the unusual length of her wedding trail, she tripped, silently cursing the bridesmaid, her best friend, for not being there when she needed her the most. Her gown flipped and went over her head but someone caught her when her beautiful face almost touched the ground.

Natsume caught her in the arm, pulling her close to him to prevent her from falling. He looked at her face and tucked some of her hair behind her ears. He then gently fixed the end her long gown, which was still on her head, allowing it to once again touch the ground. Then he smirked yet again. He took her hand and put it onto his right arm before motioning her to walk to the church's entrance.

"Clumsy idiot. Why were you tripping on flat surfaces?"

She frowned at him.

'_Doesn't he realize that I'm wearing heels?_ _It takes a lot of concentration not trip the whole time when you're wearing one, jerk. Why don't you try putting on shoes like these one of this days so you'll see what I mean, you big-headed jerk!,' _she thought drastically, her forehead knotted with irritation.

She was going to pull her hand, when for the second time, yep. She tripped… again. Luckily, Natsume was there to pull her up once again, saving her from a huge embarrassment.

Mikan looked at his face and she saw him smirking again. But despite of being annoyed at him, she smiled at him before saying she's thankful that he saved her. Her husband 'hn-ed', and pulled her closer when they reach the entrance of the church. Then, he whispered to her…

"Don't you know that wearing polka-dotted underwear during your wedding day is a bad luck?"

Her eyes widened.

"What?" she asked him, but he just shrug before taking a step near their car. Suddenly, he held out his hand towards her.

"Come on, Polka-dots. We still have a wedding reception to attend to."

She gritted her teeth and reached out to hold his hand.

"Call me that again and you're dead, mister," she snapped at him as soon as the car's door closed beside him. She heard him chuckle before he told the driver to drive to the hotel where their wedding reception was supposed to be held.

**End of chapter.**

* * *

A/N: Sorry for those who were reading this fic when I took down all the chapters. And thanks to those who reviewed.


	2. When She Was Still Mikan Sakura

Disclaimer: No. _Never._

A/N: Edited. Well, I did try editing this.

* * *

_**Never mind searching for who you are. Search for the person who you aspire to be.**_

_**-Robert Brault**_

* * *

**CHAPTER 2: When She Was Still Mikan Sakura**

Mikan watched herself in front of the mirror, as she put on her pair of diamond earrings.

They arrived half an hour ago and they were in _their _room to prepare for the reception. The reception will be held in the same hotel.

Their guests are from different companies, from different wealthy families. Some were friends, and some were merely acquaintance. But one thing was common with all of these people. They only came for publicity. (Talk about the wedding of the year, huh?)

She stared at herself in the mirror, touching her curled locks gently. She looked at her face, which had a slight makeup on. She sighed when she picked her wedding ring and her engagement ring up, before sliding both rings on her left ring finger. She lifted her left hand, at the same height with her face, before facing the mirror once again.

This time, with tears nearly falling from her eyes.

* * *

**FLASHBACK (Mikan's POV)**

I put my bag on the couch inside her my room and went to the bathroom to take a bath.

I just came home from a private school, where I was a teacher on probation. The school principal there told me that she was just waiting for me to pass my licensure exam and I'd be a regular teacher there soon.

I just graduated from college six months ago, acing almost all of my final exams. And because of that, I graduated with flying colors. I entered and graduated from the same college with my best friend, Hotaru Imai, who unlike me, took applied physics as her chosen course. She was into inventing things and she said that taking this course would help her in developing her inventions more.

Hotaru and I practically knew each other since birth, our mothers being best friends and all. So the both of us treated each other like a sister, and we promised each other to be best friends forever. (Although Hotaru kept on insisting that only I made that promise myself.)

Me, taking up an education course was a big shock not only to my family but to all those who knows me. Well, except for Hotaru. She knew that I really want to be a teacher since we were younger. And she's the only one who knows why.

Our homeroom teacher when we were in the middle school department in Gakuen Alice inspired me.

It was like this…

Narumi-sensei has his own special way on influencing his student with whatever he did. He was an idiot, yes, but being an idiot has its own advantages, Narumi-sensei said so himself.

'_It's like being exempted from being rude, and being exposed to simple things and how the things were. An idiot doesn't have to think harder than everyone else but an idiot always appreciates things the way they were, either good or bad.'_

But I remembered Hotaru saying something with her monotonous voice after Narumi told us those things.

_"He just makes excuses for being an idiot himself,"_ and our class laughed and agreed with what she said.

* * *

It was such a pity when after a few weeks after my friends and I graduated from middle school, he passed away. He died from an accident while saving one of his precious students from being run over by a car. The psychotic driver got away, leaving him and his student lying helpless on the ground.

A tear escaped from my eye when I remembered Narumi-sensei. He was so good to me and acted almost like a father to me.

I smiled bitterly.

Narumi-sensei was always there for me whenever I needed him the most. He filled up a vital position in my life and acted as my father when my dad 'gave up' this position and chose to attend his business meeting and trips instead.

I knew that a long time ago, my mother and Narumi-sensei attended Gakuen Alice together. I even heard some faculty members say that they were the best of friends.

It was a few days before our graduation.

That time, out of my curiosity, I asked him why he was so good to me. He stopped and turned to me and looked at my face. He was like that for a moment, that's why I thought he was not going to answer my question. But words came out from his lips.

"You look like your mother, Mikan-chan," he said, with a smile on his lips.

I frowned. I kind of know that by now. Many people would come up to me and say that most of the time. It's not that that I don't like being told that I look like my mother. My mother was beautiful.

_So that's means I'm beautiful, too, right?_

I giggled at my own thoughts. And then, I heard him speak again.

"I love your mother, Mikan. I always have and I always will."

I smiled and giggled at the same time when I heard those words, and I tried to imagine what it's like if my mother and Narumi-sensei would end up together. I know it's rude, but… never mind. I thought of telling this to my mom when I get back home but he told me to keep this a secret.

So I agreed.

And after a few weeks, just like what I've said, Narumi-sensei died. He died calling for my mother and me. And that was why I decided to be someone like him.

A teacher who could influence her students with her own special way.

This shocked my family, particularly my father when I announced that I wanted to take up education when I reach college. My mother only smiled at me while my father… well, we could say that almost all glass figurines broke, because of the loudness of his voice when he told me I should take up a business related course just like my brother so we could manage our businesses together in the future.

I never paid attention to him when he was giving me this lecture. Instead, I was thinking of howalons… and my soft comfy bed.

So my father, noticing I wasn't paying any attention to him, just shrugged his shoulders, an indication that he gave up on that _'little'_ talk of ours.

* * *

When I graduated from college, during dinner, I was talking animatedly to my little brother, Youichi (because he told me he's too old to be called You-chan), when my father turned his attention to me and asked me if I really want to pursue being a teacher. I told him that I was currently reviewing for my licensure exams and that I'd work as a teacher in a private school.

He nodded and I almost jumped for joy. Well almost. Not after I heard him say, _'If that's your decision, then, I'll let you do what you want, young lady. But in return, you'll be engaged to one of my client's son. You'll meet him soon and hopefully, you'll marry him one of these months.'_

My mouth opened in shock while my father, silently eating, glanced at me before he stood up and proceeded to his study room.

* * *

Four days after that, when I was in the middle of teaching my last class for that day, I noticed two men, dressed in black standing outside the classroom. When my class ended, they approached me and told me that my dad wanted me to go to his office this afternoon.

_That was new_.

So I agreed. I never thought that I would regret my decisions after.

We walked side by side, with me in the middle, as we entered our company's building.

My mind was still swimming with thoughts on why my father would want me to go to his office in this time of hour. Then, I told the two men that I could go to my father's office by myself.

I opened the door, and poked my head inside to look for my father.

His office was still the same; an air of superiority still lingers inside the room. Nothing much has changed since the last time that I was here. Which was, by the way, a long time ago.

I opened the door widely, finally noticing that my dad wasn't inside the room. Instead, a raven-haired man, sitting on my father's swivel chair, was there, his back facing me. Then suddenly, he turned the chair around, allowing him to face me, his crimson eyes catching my attention. My forehead knotted because I had never seen him before.

I approached the table, carefully sitting on the chair in front of it. I turned my attention to my surroundings, hoping to find something amusing besides the man with the crimson eyes. A few minutes ticked away and I found nothing which caught my attention.

Frowning, I unconsciously turned to the man sitting in front of me, his eyes filled with amusement as he looked at me. I stared at his face, thinking of a reason why he was here in my father's office, sitting on my father's swivel chair. Then, it hit me.

My eyes widened when I remembered what my dad told me a few days ago.

'_You'll meet him soon and hopefully, you'll marry him one of these months.'_

I let out a scream when I realized what the situation was. Sure, it caused me almost half an hour to finally figure out that he was- Oh, my God! I don't even want to finish my sentence. When my scream ended, I saw him looking at me, but with his ears covered. And then he spoke. His voice was cold and firm. It was one of those voices that I wouldn't forget! Ever! That's because he-

"Are you going to make my ears bleed? Sheesh! Shut up already!"

He let out a sigh as he removed his hands on his ears. Then he spoke again, and I wished that he didn't.

"You look like an idiot. I can't believe my mother is doing this to me!"

See why I can't forget his voice? He's just so- uh! _Annoying? Rude? Irritating?_

I sighed. I even heard him cursed under his breath while he was massaging his temples. He was muttering some words, words from his colourful vocabulary. I snickered because of that.

I picked up a green stapler that I found lying on the floor next to the chair where I sat. I wrapped my fingers around it as I examined it. I wasn't listening to what that man was saying and I was happy that one of my talents was to block myself from my environment and not to pay attention from anything else whenever I didn't want to. But then I heard him say, _"I can't believe I'm going to marry an idiotic and ugly woman like you!"_ I turned to him, his eyes were all on me, and his index finger was pointing directly at me. And then, the next thing I knew, the green stapler came flying towards the face of the man with crimson eyes.

**END OF FLASHBACK (End of Mikan's POV)**

* * *

Mikan sighed… yet again. How many times did she sigh this day? She couldn't even remember.

She looked at the mirror again and gently fixed her hair. She stood up, examining her maroon cocktail dress that ended just below her knees. She dusted her dress and looked at her reflection once again. She touched her ears, carefully checking if her earrings were there. She once again touched her auburn hair, gently tucking some stray hair behind her ears. After taking a last glance at herself on the mirror, she smiled at herself, before she saw a pair of crimson eyes, watching her intently.

"Oi, Polka-dots. Aren't you finished yet?"

Mikan glared at him through the mirror.

"Oi, idiot Mimi," Natsume told the woman, _his wife_, when she finally noticed him watching her. Shaking his head from unearthly thoughts, he walked next to her, only to find her blushing as she clutched her dress. His wife then turned to face him.

_God, she's beautiful._

But there's no way in hell that he'll tell her that. That's for sure.

_Smirk._

* * *

A/N: Chapter 2. I still have to edit the other chapters. Pfft.

To my dear readers: Sorry for the wait.

**WHY DID YOU KILL NARUMI?** (This is a possible question, right?) Actually, this idea just popped into my head. It's not that don't like Narumi, or I have something against him. I definitely like his character in the anime even in the manga but… ah, I guess I have to 'kill' him in this fic. His death is somewhat like a drive for Mikan to be a teacher like him. And Mikan, being a teacher, makes this story go round and round and round! LOL.

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTE REMOVED. :)_  
**


	3. Cheers for Mrs Natsume Hyuuga

Gakuen Alice? Disclaimed.

* * *

_**A kiss is a pleasant reminder that two heads are better than one. –Author Unknown**_

* * *

**CHAPTER 3: Cheers for Mrs. Natsume Hyuuga**

"Don't call me by my nickname!" the brunette snapped at him. His lips formed an 'O' form before smirking at her. "I'll call you Polka then, is that okay?"

The brunette glared at him. A side of Natsume's lips curled upside. This girl was too easy to annoy.

"So, what's your name?" Natsume asked her, leaning close to her to check on his own appearance on the mirror. He touched his chin, then his eyebrow. He looked at her again when she didn't answer his question.

Mikan's forehead creased. She was wondering why he was asking her name. A voice inside her head told her, '_Well, duh, Mikan! He's already your husband. You're going to live the rest of your life with him. And besides, you don't know his name either, ne?' _She stared at his face, and then she mentally nodded.

"Mikan Sakura."

It was his turn now to have a crease on his forehead. He then reached out his hand to her and told her his name.

"Natsume Hyuuga," he whispered to her when she took his hand.

"So, I finally know your name, huh? It's tiring to always call you the 'crimson-eyed guy', you know."

He frowned.

"Did I just say it out loud?" Mikan asked, hint of self-doubt was obvious quite obvious in her voice.

"Tch. What a crude way to call your husband, Polka-dots," Natsume said, before facing her. Mikan's forehead knotted.

"And you think calling your wife 'Polka-dots' is nice? Oh, come on, Natsume!" she said, while throwing her hands up with frustration. A few strands of her hair loosened, as she continued to babble about things like Natsume being a jerk, Natsume being a conceited and an arrogant man.

"You forgot the hot part. And the gorgeous. And the irresistible. And the-"

Okay. That was it. He was then cut off by the brunette, her cheeks reddening because of annoyance. He chuckled when he stared at her face.

"Okay, okay! I get it now, Mr. I'm-The-Great-One! You know you should make yourself a statue, symbolizing your conceitedness! And- Hey! Why are you laughing?"

Natsume looked at her innocently. He straightened his polo (which was a shade darker than Mikan's dress), and told her, "Do you have to ask? I'm laughing at you, little girl. _Ba-ka_."

Mikan's ear turned red when she heard what he said. She was about to tell him another batch of insults when a maid came in, and told them that everyone's waiting in the reception hall.

**Mikan's POV**

_Okay. So, all I have to do is go there, pretend I'm so in love with this jerk and then… poof! All done._

I mentally cried.

_It's not that easy, you know! Sure, this man is handsome, gorgeous even. But he is also a big-headed, conceited, rude, annoying jerk! And this list might go on and on if I continue babbling about him._

I faced the mirror once again. I inhaled deeply while closing my eyes. I heard Natsume calling me Polka-dots _again_ but… I didn't mind him. I'll deal with him later.

I then raised my arms in the air. I started waving them, while counting from one to… _Ten? Nah. Too short. A hundred? Too long. Maybe fifty? No. Okay. Thirty then._

I continuously waved my arms in the air, as I paid no attention to the man beside me.

Not until I heard him chuckle.

**End of Mikan's POV**

Mikan immediately opened her eyes when she heard that annoyingly husky chuckle.

"What?"

Natsume shrugged his shoulders and stared at her.

"You're nervous," he bluntly said. At first, Mikan thought he was asking her if she was nervous but then… it's Natsume here we're talking about. She pouted at the thought of it.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are," he contradicted her, confidence ringing with his husky voice. She looked at him as she made a face.

-LONG PAUSE-

"Okay! So you caught me. I'm nervous. So what? _Dammit_!" she said, her voice quivering with every word she said.

He chuckled once again at her sudden outburst. Frankly, he was quite amused with this little wife of him. From the day when she threw a stapler to his face (which, he doesn't want to reminisce now, if I might add, for a huge and visible bump in his forehead was made by that cute-looking stapler. And I swear, since that day, he never held a stupid stapler ever again, especially if it is colored green.), from up until now, she never failed to amuse the hell out of him.

"Hai, hai," he told her while gesturing to the direction of the door. Seriously, they still have a wedding reception to attend to!

Natsume turned his back away from her, but he stopped when he felt someone tugging his wrist. He turned around to see her, nervously biting her lower lip while gently holding his wrist.

"Are you really going to leave me here, Natsume?"

He smirked. Her forehead knotted. He chuckled. Her face then turned red because of annoyance.

"Tch," she then heard him say, "Yes, because you're so slow… Polka-dots."

"Mou, Natsume! I told you not to call me that!"

"Hn," he grunted as he motioned to open the door just as before it opened again. This time, it was a different person to tell them about the reception.

"Sir, your mother told me to-"

He didn't even let her finish for he already know what she's going to say. The expression on his face turned into business mode-like, cold and expressionless, as he heard what the woman said. He answered back, not completely paying attention to Mikan, who was now plotting something like choking him to death while sleeping, putting poison on his food while cooking breakfast, tickling the hell out of him until he lose his breath and die and so on.

"I know, Matsuhara-san. We'll be heading there by ourselves, thank you very much." He turned to Mikan, grabbed her hand and said, "Now, if you'll excuse us. Let's go, Polka-dots."

"Natsume! How many times do I have to tell you not to-"

"Hn… Polka-dots."

_Smirk._

"You never let me finish," she sulked and pouted, as Natsume dragged her to the gathering hall. But before they went in, they saw Matsuhara-san, Natsume's secretary, walking past them. She headed straight to Natsume's mother and whispered something to her ear.

She glanced at them, and a smile was slowly creeping to her face as she looked at them, immediately noticing their clasped hands.

"Son! What took you so long?" she asked them as she walked near them elegantly. She touched Natsume's face and kissed his cheeks before focusing her attention to her new daughter-in-law.

"Mikan-san," she called her. Mikan looked at her straight in the eyes before bowing as a sign of respect. She then gently touched her reddening face. "You're so beautiful today, Mikan-san. And I hope Natsume's not giving you such a hard time, ne?"

Mikan smiled sheepishly as she glanced at Natsume.

"Let's go, Polka. It seems that they're starting the program," he said before dragging her again to their assigned place. He respectfully bowed her mother, without even looking at her as he pulled her wrist.

Mikan looked at Mrs. Hyuuga and smiled at her. She slightly bowed and followed Natsume.

* * *

(**A/N**: I'll skip some parts of the reception.)

* * *

In the middle of the dance floor, the newly wedded couple was dancing. Every eye was on them, watching their every move.

Mikan stared at Natsume's face for a while. She looked at his crimson eyes, his cute pointed nose and his lips. She looked down as he felt her face flushed a little.

"Thinking about me, Polka?"

She harshly looked up, meeting his teasing smirk. Mikan rolled her eyes as his smirk widen a bit, making as is he was smiling but at the same time… he was not.

"You wish,' Mikan whispered to his ears as he pulled her closer. He chuckled at her answer. His little wife of him was again annoyed._ Wonderful._

"I don't have to wish, Polka. You're already thinking of me, ne?"

That was the time for to smirk.

"Do you still remember what happened when we first met, Natsume?"

"Hn," he grunted in response. How could he forget that freakin' stapler, huh?

"Then, stop irritating the hell out of me if you don't want this pair of heels kissing your handsome forehead."

His eyebrow twitched. A stapler hurt a lot, didn't it? Then, surely, a pair of Prada shoes, four inches in height would hurt. No. It definitely will. But then…

"So, you think I'm handsome then?"

"Yes!" Mikan answered before she could even think of answering his stupid question. Her eyes widened as he looked at him. "You tricked me!"

"I did no such thing, little girl."

"Yes, you did!"

"No," he calmly answered.

"Yes!"

"No. How many times do we have to-"

A noise (make that noises) from glasses being tapped by utensils got their attention. They both looked at their surroundings only to find out people looking at then, saying something while making that noise.

"They're making my ears bleed," Natsume commented. But the noise got louder, together with the word the people were saying.

"Kiss! Kiss!" almost of the people chanted, except for the bridesmaid, who was still busy munching on some type of seafood.

"Ba-ka," the young inventor said, turning her back away from the crazy crowd who was still asking a kiss form the newlyweds.

Mikan forced a smile as the two of them stopped dancing.

"Polka-dots, make them stop. Seriously, they make my head hurt."

Mikan glared at Natsume. _Hard._

"They'll only stop if you'll kiss me, idiot. Can't you hear them?"

"Then, why didn't you say so earlier?" Natsume said, before pulling Mikan closer to him for another kiss. His lips once again touched her soft ones as she opted to close her eyes. They stayed like that for a few moments, kissing each other with the people around them watching the two of them.

Mikan opened her eyes as she felt Natsume's lips left hers. He was looking at her straight in the eyes, with his signature smirk still on his face.

No matter how used to that smirk Mikan was, she was still annoyed and irritated by it. So, she was wondering, _If I was annoyed with it, why would my heart…_

Her eyes widen upon realizing. She was starting to break the promise she made to herself a few months ago.

_Oh, yes_.

Mikan Sakura Hyuuga was starting to like her husband.

And she was not happy about it. _Even a bit._

* * *

**A/N:** **Edited Chapter**. Thanks to those who reviewed this chapter before I took the whole story down.

I'll finish this fanfic. Lol. No flamer can bring me down. :)) I have edited chapters 4 and 5 but yeah. I'll post them on... hehe. I don't know when. Pfft.


	4. Honeymoon Eh? Seriously?

Disclaimer applies.

* * *

_**A brother is not always a friend,**_

_**but a friend is always a brother. –Author Unknown**_

* * *

**Chapter 4: Honeymoon. Eh? Seriously?**

Mikan sighed, as she looked at all the papers she needed to be checked. She then folded her arms on top of her table and used it as a pillow for her head.

A pair of crimson eyes suddenly appeared on her mind after closing her eyes. She immediately opened her eyes and violently shook her head after. She even let a piercing scream out, after remembering what she just realized two weeks ago.

_Oh, yes_.

_Mikan Sakura Hyuuga was starting to like her husband._

_And she was not happy about it. Even a bit._

She sighed once again, screaming and yelling at herself inside her head. She pouted at herself.

"Ne, Mikan-chan? What's wrong with you?" Anna asked her, obviously worried about the brunette.

"Yeah. We were watching you for a while now. And we're quite worried, Mikan-chan. Are you alright?" asked Nonoko.

Classes were already done so Mikan was quite thankful that the three of them were the only ones left in the faculty room.

_Good._

She needs time to let all her frustration, out.

"!" she told them.

"What?" they both asked, for they didn't even understand a word Mikan said. The brunette made a face and convinced herself to tell the two of them her biggest dilemma as of now. She sighed once again, and braced herself for their comments and suggestions. Even with their _violent reactions._

"I-I think… I'm starting to l-like N-Natsume!" she stuttered, but completely won to finally tell her friends. Mikan closed her eyes and waited for their… well, commentaries. But there were none. Instead, squeals of joys were heard from her friends. Mikan's forehead knotted because of confusion.

"We thought so!" Nonoko shouted at the top of her lungs, completely forgetting that they were still inside the faculty room. Anna nodded and beamed at her.

"Hah! So Mikan-chan, you were finally over him, huh?"

Mikan looked at Anna, her face was still filled confusion.

"Eh? Who were you talking about, Anna-chan?"

The two girls looked at each other. '_What? She doesn't even remember?' _they both thought.

"Really, guys. Tell me."

Mikan was leaning on her table, silently urging the two of them to tell her already.

"About your ex-boyfriend?" Nonoko hinted.

Mikan's eyes widen. So Nonoko and Anna assumed that she already remembered. But…

"I didn't even have a suitor! How can I have a boyfriend?" she exclaimed.

The two of them looked at each other, both with puzzled look etched on their faces.

"You mean _he_-"

"That _blonde guy with blue eyes_-"

They both said at the same time. And weirdly, they also finished the sentence with the same words, at the same time after looking at each other.

"Wasn't your boyfriend that time?"

"Are you talking about-"

"YES!" Nonoko and Anna screamed, at the same time yet again.

This time, it was Mikan's turn to shout back at them.

"_He_ was not my boyfriend! Mou! Even our other classmates thought so, too, before. I mean, why would _he_ be rumored as my boyfriend? Huh, you two?"

Nonoko grinned widely. They were classmates since they were in middle school, even in college. And Mikan was quite surprised that the two of them decided to be teachers, too. And now, look, they were working for the same school already and they all had passed their licensure exams a month before Mikan's wedding.

"Well, we all have the reasons to assume that you two had a relationship back then. I mean, the two of you were always together, right, Anna?"

Anna nodded in agreement.

"And I think that was also the reason why none of our classmates had the courage to even court you, Mikan-chan! They seriously thought you two were an item back then!" Anna said.

"Eh?" Mikan only managed to widen her eye and look at her friends. And that was the time they heard a honking sound, completely diverting their attention to the sleek red Ferrari that can be seen outside the window of that room. Anna and Nonoko could only gape at the car while she could only sigh.

"I guess I have to go now, guys. That's my ride home," Mikan said while gathering all her things. She grimaced when she realized that she hadn't started in checking her student's test papers. She hadn't even started in making her lesson plan for tomorrow.

_Oh, well._

She got up went outside, before saying goodbye to Anna and Nonoko.

"Bye, Mikan-chan! Take care! See you tomorrow."

"Bye bye!" she said while waving to them, before motioning to finally ride the car. She glared when he heard a voice beside her.

"So, how was your day, Polka? Any interesting event today?"

Mikan opted not to answer his question. She was so tired to do so, anyway. Instead, she closed her eyes and asked him a question in return.

"Why were you the one who picked me up today? You were busy, right?"

He heard Natsume grunted.

"My manipulator of a mother called me up and told me to pick you up, Polka. It's not that I wanted to go to that school of yours and pick you up anyway."

Mikan harshly opened her eyes.

"Then, why are you here?"

"Tch, the right question is, Polka, why are you here?" Natsume asked her, while pointing at her and his car seat.

_The nerve of this man!_

"You picked me up, idiot! That's why I'm here inside this car of yours."

"Hn."

Mikan put her arms across her chest. She was really annoyed with Natsume again. Really, how could they only bicker and fight every time they see each other? Which was, by the way, _all the time_.

Yep. She now lives with Natsume in his mansion, although she convinced him to give her another room of her own. Natsume somehow approved her idea and quickly ordered the maids to put all her things inside the room beside his. But there was a condition, whenever his mother was in the house, they would stay and sleep at only one room (a.k.a. Natsume's room).

Never did she imagined that she did the wrong thing, for a day after their agreement Natsume's mother, Kaoru Hyuuga, decided to live with them in the mansion.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

"It's getting lonely for an old woman like me to live on my own without my son and his wife on my side," she told the both of them, while asking the maids to help her unpack all her things.

"This is nightmare," Natsume said. And for the first since they met, Mikan couldn't help but to agree on what he stated. Mrs. Hyuuga even held her hands, before going to her room to unpack her things, and asked her if she wants to have some tea. Mikan immediately nodded, though she was thinking of something.

_Drinking tea was the farthest thing from what I wanted now. I want peace, Mrs. Hyuuga. So, please, just let us be._

But Mikan didn't notice the glint in the old lady's eyes in the same moment that she agreed to have a drink with her.

TIME SKIP (Tea time!)

Mrs. Hyuuga breathed some air in, as she sipped her chamomile tea. Its fragrance and its taste never failed to calm her nerves just like what it did now. She sipped again, before putting her teacup on the table. She then let a small cough out.

"So, Mikan-san," she started, "how are you doing here in our humble abode?"

"I'm fine, uhm- Mrs. Hyuuga."

The old lady chuckled.

"You can call me mother or mama, too, Mikan-san. Don't you find it weird, calling me Mrs. Hyuuga when other people are already calling you that, too? Besides, I missed my daughter already. I wonder… when will she be back? I better call her tonight…"

Mikan's forehead knotted at first then realized what Mrs. Hyuu- I mean, mama said. (A/N: Lol.)

"You're right, m-mama," she answered, smiling at the good old lady, babbling about her daughter, in front of her. She imitated her, as her mother-in-law sipped her tea.

"Ah!" The older Hyuuga said, before carefully putting her teacup on the table once again. She picked up a piece of untouched biscuit, put it inside her mouth.

"What's the matter, mama?" Mikan worriedly asked.

Kaoru Hyuuga turned to look at her, straight in the eyes. The old lady smiled at her, before putting another piece of biscuit inside her mouth. She then turned her attention to Mikan.

"I suddenly remembered something. You haven't had your honeymoon, right? Why don't you take, say, two weeks off for just the two of you?"

Mikan suddenly almost choked. She softly coughed, and after a few seconds, Mrs. Hyuuga was behind her, gently patting her back.

"Mikan-san, you should be careful even in drinking your tea. How can I have my grandchildren if their supposed to be mother died of choking because of her own drink?"

She coughed again. She put her hand over her mouth and got her handkerchief. She frowned for this time as she felt the tea flowing out of her nose. And her nose hurt like _hell_.

"Mikan, are you okay? Oh my gosh! There's tea coming out of your nose!"

She gently got the handkerchief from Mikan and gently wiped the tea off her face. Mrs. Hyuuga chuckled when she saw her reddening nose.

"Sorry about that, Mrs.- I mean, mama. I just got surprised when you told me about the honeymoon."

Mikan was surprised when Mrs. Hyuuga chuckled. She gave back her handkerchief and sat on her chair.

"I know how you feel, Mikan-san. I felt the same way when I married Natsume's father. But eventually, that man caught my heart, as you can see. And that," she pointed to Natsume, who was now walking to their direction, "That arrogant man and my beautiful daughter were the products of our love. Too bad, my husband couldn't come in your wedding Mikan-san."

Mikan looked at the old lady in front of her. A while ago, she was full with happiness and bliss… but now, with the mentioning of his deceased husband, she was filled with nothing but misery and longing.

But it was gone just as quick when Mrs. Hyuuga looked at her again and smiled.

"But right now, I know he's happy because our grandchildren are about to come!" Mrs. Hyuuga said while squealing like a teenager. "Oh, Natsume. Join us, son."

"Hn," Natsume grunted as a response before sitting on a chair beside Mikan.

"So Natsume, I was telling Mikan-san to take a week or two off so you two could spend it for your honeymoon."

And yes. This time, it was Natsume's turn to choke just as soon as he put his teacup near his lips.

"Son! Are you okay? Oh. There's tea coming out from your nose, Natsume," Mrs. Hyuuga said as she giggled at their reactions.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

"Polka, you're so slow. We're here already."

Mikan pouted. Even after two weeks of living with Natsume, she still wasn't used to what he's calling her.

"Mou! Natsumeee!" she said as she ran towards Natsume and jumped on his back. Natsume was surprised by her actions and he lost his balance.

"Oof! Ouch! What the hell, Polka!"

Mikan hit his head while she was sitting on Natsume's back. The raven-haired was lying on the floor, with his face facing it, with Mikan sitting on his back.

"I'm annoyed with you, jerk! Always calling me Polka, always teasing me! Aren't you tired of it?" Mikan said as she once again hit Natsume's head with her fist.

"Ouch! Stop it, Polka," he said while chuckling.

"You find this amusing, huh? Okay."

"Aw! Aw! It hurts! Polkaaa! I said stop it!"

It was Mikan's turn to laugh, but then, she was taken aback when Natsume tried to stand up. She touched her hurt butt, when it hit the ground.

"Natsume, that hurts!"

"I told you to stop hitting me, Polka, but you didn't listen," Natsume said while walking inside his house (A/N: Natsume is such a humble person. It's not a house actually. It's more like a mansion to me -_-'' _= HAHAHA. This author's note is too amusing for me to remove. Lol XDD_), while Mikan pouted and followed him. They were then welcomed by his mother, who was busily chatting with the maids in their living room that time.

"Son, Mikan-san! Welcome home," Mrs. Hyuuga said. She asked the maids to prepare something for the two.

The maids came in a moment later, a pitcher of juice and three slices of cakes were in the tray.

"So," Mrs. Hyuuga said, after taking a bite of her own slice of cake, "Your bags were already packed and your flight is already set for tomorrow morning."

Mikan just nodded and took her glass of juice. But then, something struck her mind.

"Honeymoon? Flight? Tomorrow?"

_Eh?_

"Mother, are you serious? I still have business meetings tomorrow. I still have clients to meet…"

"Then, cancel them all, including your meetings this coming week," Mrs. Hyuuga said strictly. She then turned to Mikan. "Your flight is scheduled 9 o'clock in the morning. Just to remind both of you. Now, go rest and sleep early so that you wouldn't be late for your flight."

They both gulped when they saw Mrs. Hyuuga's way of looking at them. And so, they agreed, eyes closed.

* * *

**Current time: 7:30 in the morning (At the airport, an hour and a half before their flight)**

Mikan patiently waited for Natsume while sitting at a chair with their luggage on her sides. She pouted once again when she remembered what happened yesterday. The sole reason why they were here at the airport. Yep. Their honeymoon.

Mikan sighed. She then turned her head to the women who started squealing a moment later.

"Kyaaa~!"

"He's so- so hot!"

"Natsume-sama!"

She looked at her husband, who was now walking towards her, oblivious to the fact that women were literally restraining themselves from throwing themselves at him. She rolled her eyes as he took a sit beside her.

"Our flight will be postponed for a while, Polka. It seems that there are some problems with the other passengers."

Mikan pouted.

"I should be at the school, really. Not with the airport today with you, jerk."

"If I know, you're excited about this trip, Polka," he said with that teasing smirk etched in his face.

"Why you-"

"Uhm, excuse me," a woman said. She was wearing a uniform like what the other employees were wearing in that airport. So this woman, too, must be working in this airport, ne?

Natsume looked up, finally giving the woman some attention. "Yes?"

"You're Natsume Hyuuga, right? Can I take a picture?"

But before he could even say no, the woman yanked his arm and pulled him up. The woman even gave Mikan her camera phone and asked her to take their picture. This made Mikan's eyebrows rose.

"Miss, can you please move a little faster and take our picture already?"

She felt a vein pop on her forehead.

_Mikan's conclusion_: She hates fangirls. Especially Natsume's.

"Okay," Mikan said as she smiled sweetly at the woman, who was now trying to kiss Natsume's cheek.

"Tch, this is annoying," Natsume said with a creased forehead. "Polka, just hurry up and take the damn picture before I got raped here."

"Polka?" the woman beside him asked.

"Yes. You see, that clumsy woman there," he pointed at Mikan, who was now busy on focusing the camera phone on the two of them. "She's my wife."

The woman's face fell.

"So the rumors were true? You're already married?"

"Yes," Natsume said coldly. He heard the woman sob.

"So I don't have a chance on you anymore?"

"Ne, ne. I'm done taking your picture," Mikan said as she went near the two.

"What took you so long?"

"But the two of you were moving, Natsume! I couldn't take you're your pictures if the two of you were moving!"

"Hn."

Mikan was even more surprised when a lot of women went to her, telling her to take a picture of them together with Natsume, too.

"Eh?" she said, confused of what's happening.

"Natsume-sama, can I take you home? I promise I'll take care of you every day," a random woman asked him, while hugging him from the back.

"No! I'll be the one to take Natsume-sama home!" another one interjected.

"No! Me!"

One could imagine the scene. A poor Natsume was in the middle of women fighting over him. He was even surprised that the airport security hasn't made their moves on this matter yet.

Suddenly, a harsh tug on Natsume's left arm silenced the women.

"Excuse me, miss, but what are you doing with my Natsume-sama?" asked a girl. Yes, a girl. She's still a teenager for God's sake!

"Take him home after our honeymoon, I don't even care. But for now," Mikan hugged Natsume's arm tightly, "we still have a matter to attend to."

Natsume smirked at his wife's reaction.

"Honeymoon?" all the women asked.

"Yes," Mikan said. "Let's go. Our flight was announced just a while ago. We should hurry and check-in, Natsume."

"Hn," as usual, Natsume grunted as a response. He took their luggage with his free hand went to the check-in counter. Mikan then let go of his arms.

"Mou, Natsume! You're fangirls are freaking me out!"

"Tch. They're annoying, aren't they?"

Mikan couldn't help but nod in agreement. Suddenly, Natsume's phone rang, just before their flight was announced (Mikan lied to Natsume's fangirls about their flight being announced earlier).

"Hello, Matsuhara-san," Natsume said, answering his phone call. He told Mikan to wait for a while for him to take this call.

"What did you say?"

"Sir, an emergency happened just a while ago. A client wants to see you and she said that she'll cancel the business approval if she won't see you on this day."

Natsume's forehead knotted. He was getting pissed with this secretary of him. Didn't his mother tell her to cancel all his meetings for today and for this coming two weeks?

"But, sir, basically, she's one of our biggest clients. We can't just ignore her like that," Matsuhara-san said. "I even told your mother about this matter and she told me to call you so that you can settle this urgent situation, sir. She even told me to tell you that you should cancel your honeymoon and attend to this matter first, sir."

Natsume sighed. The client must be an important person then. His mother wouldn't want their honeymoon to be postponed (for she badly wants grandchildren by the end of the coming year).

"What is the name of that client?" Natsume asked while touching the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed.

"Luna Koizumi, sir."

His eyes opened when he heard her secretary spoke.

"Koizumi?"

"Yes, sir. Luna Koizumi is back in Japan, for good. And she badly wants to see you, sir."

Natsume was silent for a few seconds. _So, she's back, huh? _Smirk. _I wonder how she'll react if she found out that I got married, _Natsume thought.

"Okay, I'll tell Mikan then. Thank you, Matsuhara-san. I'll go there in the office immediately after driving Mikan home."

He sighed once again before putting his cellphone inside his pocket, with a smile on his lips. For after a few years, she's going to see her again. And he's quite happy about it. Luna Koizumi was his friend after all.

He stopped his tracks when he saw Mikan talking to familiar guy on the same spot where he left her. He walked quickly to her and stopped when he recognized who the guy was.

* * *

**MIKAN'S POV**

Natsume answered his phone and left me here alone once again._ Grrrr_!

I touched my hair and tucked of a few strands of it behind my ear. _Natsume. What's taking him so long?_

**END OF POV**

* * *

A guy then bumped on their luggage when she looked at Natsume's direction.

"Ah, sorry," the man said. "I wasn't looking."

"Oh, it's okay," Mikan answered, without even looking at the man who bumped into her.

"Sakura-san?" the man said which made Mikan turn her head into his direction.

"Oh! It's you! How have you been? We haven't seen each other since graduation, huh."

"Yeah. I'm only here for a visit. And for business, of course," the man said. He noticed the bags on her sides.

"Are you going somewhere?"

Mikan smiled… but pouted a few seconds after.

"Yeah. Unfortunately, my hus-"

She was then cut off by Natsume who put his hands on the man's shoulder.

"Hey, man," Natsume said, smiling at the man, "long time no see."

"Oh, Natsume. Yeah. It's been a long time, ne?"

* * *

A/N: **Edited chapter.** Well, I tried. Lol. Thanks to those who reviewed this chapter before I took the whole story down. Hugs and kisses to all of you. :)


	5. The Rumored Ex, High School Sweetheart

Gakuen Alice? Disclaimed.

* * *

_**One's perfect love is always perfect, until one meets one's second love. –Elizabeth Aston**_

* * *

_**LAST CHAPTER:**_

"Hey, man," Natsume said, smiling at the man, "long time no see."

"Oh, Natsume. Yeah. It's been a long time, ne?"

* * *

**Chapter 5: The Rumored Ex-Boyfriend and the High School Sweetheart**

"Yeah, Ruka. It's a long time since you last visited Japan."

"Well, I'm kinda busy because of business and… my mother's condition is really not that good. That's why I have no choice but to stay with her in Paris."

Mikan coughed. Apparently, the two men forgot her presence. Ruka then turned to her and smiled at her.

"Sakura-san," he told her. "It's been a long time, too, since we saw each other."

Mikan smiled at Ruka. Natsume knotted his forehead when Ruka extended his hand to touch Mikan's.

"I'm happy to see you again, Ruka-pyon!"

_Ruka-pyon? _Natsume's forehead creased… again. _They know each other?_

Natsume frowned when she saw Mikan laughed with Ruka.

"Oh, Polka," Natsume said, remembering his conversation with his secretary. Mikan looked at Natsume with her innocent hazel eyes.

"Mou, Natsume! I told you many times already. Don't call me that!"

"Whatever, Polka," he shrugged his shoulders and ignored Mikan. "So, I was saying… What, Ruka?"

The two turned their attention to the amused Ruka beside them.

"You two know each other," Ruka said in a matter-of-fact manner, his index finger pointing at the two of them.

"Unfortunately," Mikan and Natsume said at the same time. They even looked at each other before finishing their sentences.

"He's my husband."

"She's my wife."

Ruka Nogi was flabbergasted. His eyes (and his mouth) were wide with shock.

"Eh?"

Natsume put his hand over Ruka's mouth when he noticed people staring at them with curious eyes.

"Geez, Ruka. Some reaction, huh?" he said as he dragged Ruka and Mikan out of the airport and into the parking lot. Luckily, his secretary called their driver and told him to go back to the airport and pick Natsume and Mikan up again. The driver went and got their luggage and brought them inside the car.

"You can't blame me to react like that, Natsume. I'm just surprised. After all, who would've thought that my best friend and the girl I had a crush on way back in college are now married?"

Mikan blushed at Ruka's words. Her husband looked at her and smirked.

"You sure have bad taste in women, Ruka," Natsume said which earned him a punch in his arm. The brunette then turned to chuckling Ruka.

"You had a crush on me? I thought you liked Hotaru, Ruka-pyon?"

Different shades of red crept into blonde's face, starting from his ears.

"Hotaru Imai?" asked Natsume. Mikan looked at him and nodded with agreement. He rolled his eyes as a reply.

"Yeah, Ruka. You definitely have a bad taste in women," he whispered to himself.

(Silence)

"Natsume? Where are we going? What about our flight?" the brunette asked.

The raven-head raised his eyebrows. Oh, yeah. He hadn't told her about that emergency.

"Yeah, Natsume," Ruka interjected. "What about my belongings?"

"Shut up, Ruka. I already have the driver fetch them for you," he said as he touched the bridge of his nose before closing his eyes. "Polka, our trip will be delayed for a while. I was told that an emergency occurred in the office and a client wants to see me immediately. I'll go home with you and change my clothes, before going to the office."

The brunette's lips formed an o. So she'd head home? She pouted. She suddenly missed Hotaru. Then, a plan formed in her head.

"Natsume, Hotaru works in your company, right?" she asked.

Yes. Hotaru Imai, her supposedly best friend, was working for her husband. Apparently, her best friend since diapers was her husband's cousin. She couldn't even forget the look on her husband's face when she found that information a few days after their wedding.

She saw the blonde's ears twitched with curiosity, though he decided not to show it. Mikan smiled brightly when Natsume nodded. "Then, can I visit her? I haven't seen her since for a whole week," she said, using her ultimate weapon against Natsume. Oh, yes. Her big, puppy dog eyes.

"Fine, whatever. Just don't do anything stupid, Polka," Natsume said while gently shaking his head. He somehow knew that Mikan was silently planning something in that little head of hers again. The bubbly brunette nodded and smiled, before saying "You should come, too, Ruka! I know Hotaru will be happy to see you, too, again."

* * *

**Inside the Hyuuga Corp. building…**

Hotaru Imai was not a happy department head. Why? She hasn't had her daily dose of comfort food (seafood; especially crab roes) and her annoying (as of now) best friend called her and told her that she'd be here any moment now. With Ruka Nogi.

_Awkward_, she told herself. When they were in college, Ruka Nogi broke her heart. Well, she didn't know about it until her friends told her that the two were already together.

She decided to take a little break from work. She called her secretary, Sumire Shouda, who just sighed with anticipation. Apparently, this secretary of hers (ever since she started to work here in Hyuuga Corp.), was still obsessed with her cousin.

"Do I have meetings later after lunch?" she asked. Normally, when Permy (she likes to call her that because Sumire still keeps her permed hair saying that it would someday attract _her_ Natsume-sama) would hear her stern voice, she would be nervous and there will be a lot of sweating on her secretary's part. But then, Sumire just sighed and giggled like an idiot, before getting her boss' organizer and telling her she has no business meeting for the rest of the day.

Hotaru looked at Permy annoyingly. Ever since she walked inside her office and told her that her best friend just called, she'd been like that because she said she heard _her_ Natsume-sama's voice, telling someone that he would be going to work today. In short, Sumire Shouda was acting like an obsessed idiot which she truly was.

"Have you had your lunch?"

This pulled Sumire out of her daze.

""Eh?"

Hotaru raised her eyebrows. Her secretary looked at her. The Permed One then shook her head.

"Uh… not yet, ma'am."

She stood up, after hearing what her secretary just said, while putting all the folders that she's supposed to read inside her drawer. She opened the door, and motioned to get out of the room. Once again, she looked at her puzzled secretary.

"What? Do you want to starve there?" she asked. Sumire shook her head once again. "Come along, then. Pick up my purse for me. Both my arms are aching from all that reading."

"You're just lazy," Sumire muttered under her breath, while picking up her boss' purse. Hotaru's ears twitched with annoyance when she heard that.

"Did you just say something?" she asked, her cold violet eyes seemed to penetrate even her soul. Sumire gulped. Her boss was in the mood to treat her lunch but Hotaru was nowhere near joking mode.

'_Pfft. As if I was joking when I said that_,' Sumire thought, as she gently shook her head and smiled at Hotaru.

"No, I just said I'm hungry, ma'am," she said then made a face when Hotaru turned her back away from her and walked out of her office.

"Let's go then," she said as her mouth secretly watered as she thought of crabs and other seafood. "Oh, and this will be deducted from your salary."

Sumire sweatdropped. She thought her boss would treat her to lunch forthe_ first time_.

They walked inside a vacant elevator and pushed the button with the large G on it. But as soon as the elevator opened when it came to the ground floor, Hotaru quickly walked out of the elevator. She couldn't stand another minute with Sumire in that elevator as her secretary sang 'Uptown Girl' by… ugh. She couldn't even remember who the singers were.

Her eyebrows met when she heard a familiar chuckle. She glanced at the glass door, and there he was. His blonde hair, his smiling eyes, and his lean but muscled arms… which were held by no other than Mikan.

She watched as the two walked near her, not noticing her presence. She saw her cousin, who was following the two with a frown on his face. _Great,_ she thought. _Natsume seems to be jealous._

"Natsume-sama," she heard a whisper. She turned around and saw her secretary, who if I might add, was literally drooling on the mere sight of Natsume. Hotaru let a small cough out to catch the attention of her idiotic secretary. But unfortunately…

"Hotaru! There you are!"

Sumire tried to hide her laughter but failed in doing so. It's only now that she saw her cold boss in this situation: hugged into death by a cheerful brunette. She smirked was she thought that Hotaru will be pushing this brunette away, for her boss doesn't want anybody hugging her like that. But she was wrong.

Hotaru just stood there, as her best friend almost killed her by hugging her so tightly.

"Baka," she told Mikan. "Let go of me now. You're crashing my delicate body."

The brunette giggled. _'She looks awfully familiar,' _Sumire thought.

"Awww. I miss you, too, Hotaru!"

"Stop right there," Hotaru said with her left hand near Mikan's body, stopping her from lunging herself to her again. "Be thankful that I don't have my Baka Gun right now or else…"

"You wouldn't do that again to your only best friend, ne, Hotaru?" the brunette said, looking at Hotaru with her puppy dog eyes.

Hotaru blinked. She wasn't that immune to her best friend's puppy dog eyes but she stood her ground. She then smirked at her.

"Oh, yes, I would. Just like when we were in middle school…"

Mikan paled. She immediately ran and took cover behind husband's back, who just nodded at Hotaru as a greeting. The brunette even put her hands on Natsume's shoulders while occasionally taking a peek at Hotaru.

"Oi, Polka. I think you're ruining my suit."

"But Natsume… Hotaru…" the brunette said. Sumire's eyes went wide upon realizing who the brunette was. _'She was Natsume-sama's wife!'_

Natsume sighed. He held Mikan's hands and removed her grip from his shoulders. He groaned when the brunette only tightened her grip on his shoulders.

'_This sure was getting annoying,'_ he thought when his wife's hands finally freed his uh… now wrinkled suit. He turned to face Mikan, who was now innocently smiling at him. He sighed. He then heard Ruka chuckle.

"The great Natsume Hyuuga has finally found his match. Interesting," Ruka said as he looked at Hotaru and winked. He himself was surprised by his own actions. Where did he even get the sudden confidence?

Hotaru's eyebrow rose as she looked at him. How dare he wink at her like that? _Tssss_. She could almost feel her heart flying out of her chest.

"Kya~!" a soft squeal was heard behind her. Great. Now, Sumire was captivated by Ruka, just like what he did to her.

"Natsume-kun!" a sickly sweet voice said, but no one seemed to hear it. The couple started to bicker with each other (again).

Suddenly, a woman, dressed in hot pink from head to toe, hugged Natsume from the back. This made Natsume stop himself from telling Mikan that she was such an idiot because of… _err_, never mind that.

The woman released Natsume and went between him and Mikan. She cupped his face and stared at him lovingly.

"I missed you, Natsume-kun," she said, before pulling him into a fiery kiss.

Ruka's mouth was as wide as Mikan's, while Hotaru remained unfazed by the scene before her. In fact, there a glint in her eyes as she looked at the two kissing figures then to the brunette, then back to the two again. Sumire's action, you asked? Sumire… Sumire was another story. She was hugging the wall (if ever it's possible to hug the wall) and was crying her heart out. _'Natsume-sama… my Natsume-sama,'_ she softly cried.

"Sir, Koizumi-san was looking for y-" Natsume's secretary gasp as she saw the scene in front of her. This made the raven-head recover from his shock and pull away from the kiss. He saw his wife's reaction and… uh, whatever. _'She doesn't care anyway,'_ he thought. Natsume turned his attention to the woman in front of him, who was now trying to put her arms around his neck.

The brunette let out a cough. She just realized her feelings for Natsume not long ago and then suddenly, a woman in revealing hot pink dress came along and kissed Natsume, _her husband_,_ just in front of her. _And besides, this was getting quite awkward for her.

Natsume held the woman's arms and removed them from around his neck.

"Koizumi, what do you think you're doing?"

"_Koizumi?_" the woman asked, a hint of confusion was mixed in her sweet voice, but then she easily recovered from it. "You know, Natsume-kun, you could always call me Luna just like back then," she said as she laced her arms around Natsume's.

Her sickly sweet voice made the brunette feel like gagging. And no, she was not jealous. Just… annoyed. '_Yeah, I'm just annoyed. Haha. Jealous? Me? What a funny little thought,'_ she told herself.

Natsume freed himself from that Luna _biyatch_ and went beside Mikan. _'Operation save-me-from-my-freakin'-fangirls again. I never did get a thank you from him a while ago,'_ she thought one again, as she pouted.

"Koizumi, meet my Polk-"

He would've continued if only she hadn't elbowed him right on his stomach. He frowned and touched his hurt abdomen. He glared at Mikan shortly before finally continuing. "Yeah, so as I was saying," he said, slightly touching his stomach, "this is Mikan, my wife. And that really hurt, Polka!"

Mikan suddenly felt guilty as she saw Natsume's face. Ruka just chuckled and Hotaru smirked in the background.

"Sorry, Natsume. I really didn't mean to hit you hard. Are you okay?" she asked as she motioned to touch Natsume's stomach.

"Kidding!" the raven-head said as soon as Mikan's hands touch his abdomen.

"Mou!"

Natsume smirked as the brunette tried to punch him.

"Wait! What is really going on here?" asked a very confused (and possibly angry) Luna. She looked at everyone around her, with questions in her eyes, searching for answers. The couple just continued to bicker while Ruka and Hotaru just looked at her with smirks on their faces. (And don't ask about Sumire. She's still hasn't recovered from the earlier scene. In short, she was still hugging the wall, sulking.)

Finally, Matsuhara-san, Natsume's secretary, spoke up.

"It's exactly what Hyuuga-sama said, Koizumi-san," she looked at the couple with a smile on her lips. It was only now that she saw Natsume laugh and joke around like that. "They're already married."

Luna Koizumi put her hands on her temple. Her mind couldn't still process the whole thing, to let her frustration out, she let out a scream. The whole lobby seemed to stop when they heard her.

She sighed deeply while glaring at Mikan.

"What the hell! My Natsume!" was all that she could say.

* * *

**Later that day…**

Luna Koizumi almost threw her cellphone outside her window. She counted from one to ten to help her calm. But still, it's no use. She had just confirmed that Natsume and that Mikan girl were already married. She gently touched her slim stomach and smirked. Still, she would continue with her plans. She has to. She needed to.

**End of chapter.**

* * *

**A/N: **_EDITED. _I decided not to revise the story anymore… because I was lazy? Busy? HAHAHA. You pick :p Anyways, the quote at the beginning is so perfect for this chapter in so many ways. Don't you think so? :))


	6. The Devil Wears Pink

Gakuen Alice? Disclaimed.

* * *

"_**All I can remember about the moment was when our lips touched, I knew the memory would last forever."  
-A Walk to Remember**_

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Devil Wears Pink**

Mikan sighed contentedly as she hugged her pillow tightly. She nuzzled her nose against it, taking in its heavenly smell. She smiled in her sleep when she felt her pillow took a breath.

'_What the…? Pillows aren't supposed to breathe,'_ she thought. Her forehead creased when her pillow shook a little against her. She hugged it more tightly until it stopped shaking. _'Pillows aren't supposed to shake, too. But, never mind. It smells kind of… good. And it's so warm, too.'_

She sighed once again, with a smile grazing on her lips. Well, that was until she felt a sudden poke on her side. And another. And another one. She tried to ignore it, but she just couldn't her eyes flashed open. She was about to close them again when she heard her pillow spoke.

"You drool in your sleep, Polka."

She opened her eyes once again, and took a look at her fluffy pillow. She blinked her sleepy eyes, and she tried to adjust them from the brightness coming from the window. All her sleepiness was gone in an instant, as her eyes widened upon seeing his eyes.

_Those eyes. They're crimson like blood, like fire on a hearth on a winter's night. But unlike fire they're kind of cold…_

She remembered the first time they met, her first impression of him the first time she looked straight into his eyes. She blinked, once, thrice even, as she saw his lips curved into his familiar smirk. His eyebrows rose, as he looked at her arms which were still wrapped tightly around him.

"Had a good night sleep?" he asked, his voice was as teasing as ever. Mikan unwrapped her arms from hugging him and rolled over the bed until she fell onto the floor.

"Ouch," she mumbled under her breath as she touched her hurting butt. She glared at Natsume whose head was at the edge of the bed, a side of his lips still curved into his signature smirk of his.

"Even on your sleep, you're still as loud as ever, Polka," he said before standing up and proceeding into the bathroom. And Mikan was left there, on the floor, with her hands still on her butt (which was still hurting by the way). What's worse? He left her there, with her heart nearly jumping out of her chest for him.

* * *

Mikan nearly dropped all her things when she heard all her female co-teachers squealed. She gently shook her head, as one of them nearly fainted as they look at the bulletin board.

"Mikan! Mikan!" a panting Nonoko approached her, slamming both her hands on the table, making Mikan almost jump because of… well, shock.

"Nonoko, I'm sure I'll die young around you!"

"Sorry about that. I'm just shocked, happy, ecstatic..."

"Okay, enough of that," Mikan told her. Pffft. If that would continue, they'll be late for their classes. "What's the commotion all about?"

The blue-haired woman squealed once again before finally telling her.

"We have a new principal! And he is freaking hot."

Mikan stared at her friend, who was now making _googooly_ faces beside her. She got her things and stood up and motioned to get out of the room when Nonoko blocked her way.

"Where are you going, Mikan?" she sighed because of that.

"I still have to teach my class, Nonoko. And if I'm right, you have to teach yours, too."

"But, but… the new principal! He needs someone to welcome him."

"We can do that later, you know. Now, I'm going to my next class. See you later," she said waving her free hand while walking out of the faculty room. She almost smacked her head on the wall when she saw a woman, dressed in… ugh,_ I_ couldn't even say it… fuchsia pink from head to toe. She seemed out of place because of her… uh, wide brimmed hat with a matching handkerchief on her left hand. In short, for Mikan, she looked like someone who just walked out from a certain old story… those books where people were kind of conservative.

But please, there was nothing conservative on what she's wearing now was there?

Mikan let out a cough to let the _dev_- I mean woman know that she was there. Luna Koizumi turned around, with so much poise and elegance that she could muster. Oh, yeah. And Mikan _almost_ gagged again.

"Koizumi-san, what are you doing here?" she asked, as she noticed that this woman scrunched up her nose as she looked at her from head to toe. Mikan could feel all her self-conscious gobble her up. Even though what Koizumi wears makes her kind of… never mind.

Luna put her handkerchief against her nose before she spoke.

"I have to ask you something," she said, her sickly sweet voice echoing in the corridor.

Mikan's eyebrows rose.

"What's that?"

"I want you to give Natsume back to me."

"Eh?"

And she never got the chance to teach her class, for the devil, you know who I'm talking about, dragged her outside the school and went somewhere… private for them to talk.

* * *

Sumire was annoyed this time. Her boss told her to order something from a fastfood near them but when she already did, Hotaru told her to just order a pizza. Grrrr. Someday, if she would get the chance, she'd roast Hotaru alive.

She put her hand on her chin as she tapped her perfectly manicured nails on her table, waiting for the pizza to come. She ate already, how could she not if her boss won't eat the food she ordered earlier? She closed her eyes and clicked her tongue because of annoyance.

Her nose moved when she smelt something masculine… something nice. She opened her eyes, and there he was. Oh, he was just a pizza guy. A good-looking pizza guy. Yeah, a good-looking one indeed. She stared at his face for a while before getting the pizza from him, but he refused.

She clicked her tongue once again, before saying "Do whatever you want." She got up and knocked at Hotaru's door.

"What's the matter, Permy?"

The pizza guy almost laughed when he heard that. Grrrr. Whatever.

So Sumire, with veins popping on her forehead, calmed down and told Hotaru that the pizza she ordered was already here. But before she could finish, the good-looking pizza guy, entered the room. She saw Hotaru's eyebrow rose but she was more surprised when she heard her say, "What are you doing here with my pizza, Koko?"

The guy named Koko laughed at her boss before finally giving her the medium-sized pizza. Sumire's eyes widened when Koko shamelessly got a piece and took a bite on it.

"This better be free," Hotaru said while also taking a bite on her piece.

Great. Her boss and the good-looking pizza guy knew each other. Surprise, surprise!

"Yeah, it's free. My treat, Imai," the guy named Koko said, before taking a bite on his slice of pizza. "Natsume?" he asked her boss. Wow. The pizza guy also knows the company president.

"He's still on a meeting, you know," her cold boss told him. She was still standing by the door, by the way, her presence quietly amusing the… pizza guy.

"Your secretary?" he asked Hotaru. She just nodded before turning to Sumire.

"Permy, fax these documents to Mr. Koujo. Also, go over these documents, too, for me."

Sumire nodded and got the files her boss was telling her to… fax to Mr. someone.

Koko chuckled as she got the folders from Hotaru. He really was amused with this permed woman.

"Oh, and Permy," Hotaru called her, just before she got out from her office. "What you ate earlier will be deducted from your salary. That's all. You can go and work now."

Sumire clicked her tongue once again before closing the door. The keyboard of her computer almost got destroyed because of her annoyance to her boss.

Koko chuckled once again as Permy, according to Hotaru, left the room. He got another slice of the pizza once again, only for his hand to be slapped away by Hotaru.

"Leave my pizza alone. It's mine." His forehead knotted.

"But I gave this to you for free," he whined.

"Yeah. You gave this to me. That's why this pizza," Hotaru motioned to the pizza, which only has three slices now. "Is mine."

"Tch," Koko grunted as he shook his head. His head whipped to Hotaru's direction as her cellphone rang. He stared at the Ice Queen, a nickname that he called her since they were in middle school, while she was busily talking to… someone through her phone. He saw Hotaru sighed when she pressed a button on her phone, signaling that their call had just ended.

"Koko, that blockhead of a cousin of mine's meeting was just over. Now, he wants to talk to you about your business proposal."

Koko's eyebrows rose.

"How did he know that I'm already here with you?"

"That guy has superior sense of smell. Maybe he smelled your free pizza."

He almost laughed. Did Hotaru just make a joke? But either way, he took off his pizza guy outfit. A light yellow polo shirt could be seen under it. He also fixed his necktie that was left disarrayed when he took of his… pizza guy outfit.

Yeah. _That_.

"Let's go," Hotaru said, with a slice of pizza on her hands as she stood up. Koko followed her outside the room. He looked at Sumire's table which was messy, probably because of what her boss told her to do. It's quite a surprise though, that she didn't accidentally mix up the documents that she needed to work on.

"Hmmm, I need a secretary like that," he said, his hands unconsciously rubbing against his chin. "Hotaru, if she resigns, recommend her to me."

Hotaru glared daggers at him and he nearly flinched.

"She's working for me, Koko. And why would she resign? She's lucky to have me as her boss," Hotaru said and Koko couldn't help it but stifle his laughter.

* * *

Mikan nearly flinched when she smelled Luna's perfume once again. It's smelled of roses, mixed with vanilla. Yuck. Her perfume smelled so strong that she almost moved away from her.

They were currently inside a restaurant, the ones who have private rooms where you can talk, well… privately to someone.

Luna coughed to catch Mikan's attention just after she put her glass of water near her lips. She began to talk afterwards.

"About what I told you a while ago, I'm sure about it, you know," she said, before taking a spoon on her hands as she got a spoonful of chocolate ice cream and shamelessly shoved it inside her mouth. Mikan could do nothing but gape.

"Sorry about that. It's been a long time since I've had chocolate ice cream. I seemed to miss it," Luna said, motioning to wipe the ice cream on the side of her lips, with elegance of course. "Ah, what should I call you again?"

Mikan stared at the floor first, before looking and smiling at the woman in seated in front of her.

"You can call me Mikan," she finally said. Luna looked at her.

"Mikan it is, then. You can eat, you know. I'll pay," she said. Mikan politely shook her head as a refusal. "Suit yourself then." Again, she scooped another spoonful of ice cream and took it inside her mouth. Luna looked at Mikan when she chuckled.

"Sorry," the woman in fuchsia said as she wiped the remains of her ice cream madness on her lips. She let out a small cough before talking once again. "I told you, I'm serious about taking your husband away from you."

Mikan stared at her, quite puzzled at her actions. Luna Koizumi could be sweet at one point and then, her voice could also be as sharp as it was now. Really, her personality was confusing.

"And why would you do that?" she said, as she took a glass of water. This talk was making her thirsty, really.

"I need him. I love him since… we were in high school. He was mine then and now. That's why I want him back, Mikan."

The brunette almost choked. How could this woman bluntly say all those words?

"Please, Mikan. Just let him be mine again."

"He's my husband now. Whether I like it or not, we'll forever be bounded by our marriage."

"There's still divorce though."

Mikan looked at Luna straight in the eyes. No. More like, she glared at him for giving her mind some ideas like that.

"Our parents won't be happy if they hear about that, Koizumi-san."

"Your parents? Or do you mean yourself?" Luna smirked. "You can't fool me, Mikan. I'm a woman, too. And sadly to say, it seems like we're in love at the same man."

Mikan clenched her fist. This woman was annoying the hell out of her! And she couldn't stand it anymore. That's why Mikan stood up, dusted her skirt and bowed to the furious Luna in front of her.

"You said so yourself, Koizumi-san. I won't be happy if I let Natsume go. Now, I think this talk is finished now," she said before heading for the door. But before she could even get out from that room, she heard Luna said something to her.

"No, Mikan. I don't think _this_ will be finished. It'll only be, once Natsume's mine again. And believe me, I don't give up that easily." Luna said before standing up from her chair and picking up her bag… also her wide-brimmed hat. She walked near her and motioned to get out of the room, too. "Oh, by the way," she said once again, turning her head a little to Mikan's direction. "No one walks out form Luna Koizumi. I walk out from them," she finally said.

Mikan couldn't help but sigh while shaking her head.

* * *

"So, Natsume," Koko said, as she munched Natsume's supposed-to-be lunch. Natsume looked at him quizzically, not minding if someone was eating his food. Tsss. He was used to this by now. "I heard that you're already married."

"Yeah," he answered unenthusiastically.

"With Mikan." This time, he got Natsume's full attention now. Koko chuckled.

"You know her?" Koko nodded.

"She's my classmate when we were in middle school."

"Oh, that would mean that you suffered from that freak, too," Natsume said, while pointing at Hotaru. Hotaru shot him a glare.

"If what you're going to say is not nice then please, just restrain yourself from saying it, blockhead."

Natsume and Koko chuckled in unison.

"You're so easy to annoy, Imai," Koko said. Hotaru was again busy with her cellphone. A few moments later, she sighed.

"What's the matter?"

Hotaru ignored Koko's question and turned to Natsume.

"Cousin, that baka wife of yours is headed here now."

Natsume looked at his wristwatch before saying, "She still has classes, hasn't she?"

Hotaru just shrug her shoulders and stood up.

"Well, I'm going to get that baka. She might get lost. We'll be here in a short while."

Koko chuckled once again after Hotaru got out of the room.

"What?"

"You got it bad, man," he said, while gently shaking his head.

"And what do you mean by that?"

Koko flashed him another one of his smiles.

"Go figure it out yourself, Natsume."

**End of chapter 6.**

* * *

**A/N: **EDITED, yes. :)


	7. Secretary, Inventor, Third Wheel

Gakuen Alice? Disclaimed.

* * *

_**His smile... makes me realize how utterly dumb I was. –Kimi ni Todoke**_

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Trusted Secretary, the Lazy Inventor, and the Third Wheel**

Mikan was panting really hard. She took another step… and then another. And another. And then another one.

Wooooh! That was tiring. She was now on the sixth floor of Hyuuga Corp. building. She almost jumped because of surprise when she heard her cellphone ring. The brunette looked at her phone before answering it.

_Weird, _she thought. _The reception is not even good here._

The brunette's curiosity was answered when she picked up her phone and her unknown caller said something on the other line.

'_Baka. Where are you?'_ Mikan sighed. Hotaru really was a genius. How did she even contact her in such a place like this? Oh. She could only wonder.

"Fire exit," she managed to say in between climbing the stairs.

'_What are you doing there?'_

Mikan giggled. "Hotaru, I thought you're the genius between the two of us."

The raven-head clicked her tongue before saying_, 'I know that already by now, considering that I don't use the stairs to get to the topmost floor of this building. Now, tell me, is there something you want to talk about?'_

Mikan was caught off guard by what Hotaru just said. How did she know?

"Nothing, Hotaru. Nothing's wrong. How did you know where am I, by the way?"

'_I had a tracker planted on you, baka.'_

Mikan pouted on the other line. Was that even legal?

'_By the way,'_ she heard Hotaru again, _'Aunt Kaoru called me and told me that she was trying to call you several times already. She said that she needs to tell you something urgently._'

"What is that, Hotaru? Did mama tell you?"

'_No. She didn't tell me.'_ She heard Hotaru sigh on the other line. _'Just get out of there, ride a vacant elevator, go to Natsume and call Auntie. Seriously Mikan, you have a knack on how to make us worry.'_

Mikan's eyes shone as she heard Hotaru. "Really, Hotaru? You were worried about me?"

Hotaru snickered, though inside her mind she knew that the answer was yes.'_No, I'm worried about your shoes. They're way too cute to be murdered like that,' _Hotaru said. _'Baka, I'm hanging up now. My feet hurt from all this waiting. Remember and obey what I said, ne? Jaa.'_

The brunette sighed when her best friend ended the call. She looked up in front of her only to see another flight of stairs. She groaned.

"Why am I doing this again?" she asked as she forced herself to climb up the stairs. And boy was she thankful to reach the fifteenth floor and got into a vacant elevator. She the pressed the topmost button and leaned on the elevator wall.

She sighed when she remembered what Luna told her a while ago.

_It's incredible what an elevator ride could do to your brain, _she thought. She also thought about the things Luna-pig said a while ago again, during her almost three-minute elevator ride.

"_I need him. I love him since… we were in high school. He was mine then and now, I want him back, Mikan."_

…

"_You can't fool me, Mikan. I'm a woman, too. And sadly to say, it seems like we're in love with the same man."_

Mikan groaned when she remembered those exact words from Luna. She still couldn't believe what that woman had said. Well, didn't she just realize her true feelings for Natsume a few days ago? And now, here she was, inside an elevator, pondering on her love rival's (she almost gagged when she thought of that word) words of determination.

She sighed once again, as the elevator opened. She walked out from it and smiled at Matsuhara-san.

"Is Natsume inside?" she politely asked the smiling secretary. The secretary could only nod while flashing her a kind smile.

"You could go inside, Mikan-sama."

Nodding her head, the brunette just smiled at her and went inside the awaiting door.

* * *

It has been fifteen minutes since Hotaru left Natsume's office (to pick Mikan up) and exactly eight minutes since Koko left. He said something about delivering a pizza to Mochu's office and proposing another business deal there.

Natsume smiled inwardly. _'That guy,'_ he thought. _'He never did give up on that dream job of his.'_

Yes. Natsume and Koko had known each other since they were little. And Natsume also knew that becoming a 'pizza guy' was one of Koko's dream jobs.

Natsume frowned when he heard his cellphone rang. It was Hotaru who was calling him.

"Imai," he said when he picked up and answered his phone.

'_Hyuuga, the idiot's not here in the lobby. She's somewhere inside the building though.'_

"What?"

'_And she's using the stairs to get to your office, cousin.'_

"That idiot," he mumbled, "She's using the stairs? Is she freakin' mad?"

'_She's Mikan. What do you expect? Something's bothering her. I can really tell,' _Hotaru sighed._ 'Oh, well. Go get her, Hyuuga. She's currently on the eighth floor now.'_

His forehead creased. He got up and walked near the door.

"How did you know?"

'_Oh. I have my ways, dear cousin,'_ Hotaru said with a smirk.

"What ways?"

'_That's for me to know and for you to find out.'_

Natsume could even imagine Hotaru snickering on the other line.

'_Oh, by the way, Aunt Kaoru called me, since she couldn't contact Mikan. She told me about your postponed… honeymoon.'_

Natsume grunted on the other line. He almost forgot about their honeymoon! He heard something like 'Oh, Permy… I thought you're doing your job? What the hell are you doing here?' before he heard Hotaru saying something again to him. He went to his chair and sat down again.

_Better just wait for that baka to get here,_ he thought.

'_Sorry, that was my idiotic secretary. Where was I again?'_

"Honeymoon," he curtly said.

'_Oh, yeah. That. Shut up, Permy! And yes if it really bothers you, Natsume and his wife will go on vacation for their honeymoon. Geez! Just shut the hell up and go do your job,'_ he heard his cousin said, her voice cold as ever as he smirked and listened to her while she was lecturing her secretary_._

'_Sorry for the unnecessary interruption. As I've said, auntie mentioned something about your honeymoon. And oh,' _Hotaru continued while pausing for a few moments. Natsume waited patiently for her to speak again and sighed when he heard her voice again.

'_The baka is already inside the elevator. She'll arrive in your office in just about…'_ Hotaru smirked. _'Now. I've got to go, cousin. I still have a business meeting to attend to. And my idiotic secretary was still sulking. How troublesome.'_

"Okay, Imai."

Natsume had his eyebrows rose Mikan finally went inside his office and nearly collapsed on a couch near his table. He got up and went near a small bar in his office and got a bottle of water for her.

"Tired?" he said, his a hint of amusement present in his voice. Mikan glared at him and before taking the bottle from him. She almost drank the bottle's content.

"Imai told me you planned to use the stairs to get here."

Mikan looked at him and nodded while pouting. "I just want to get things out of my head for a while."

Natsume's eyebrows rose.

"Oh. So Polka-dots has a brain after all," he said while smirking. The brunette pouted as she stood up and went near Natsume's table.

Still pouting, she said, "Hotaru said mama called. Did she call you, too?"

Natsume grunted while shaking his head. "Imai told me though. She called just before your arrival."

Nodding, Mikan sat on the chair near his table, while examining something that looked like a stapler. _Uh-oh_. The raven-head mentally shook his head. Remembering their first meeting, he then got the stapler from the brunette and put it inside his drawer.

"What's with you and staplers, Polka?"

Mikan could only look at him with confusion written on her face. He sighed.

"Imai told me that my mother called… well, tried to call you so that she could tell you about our honeymoon."

Mikan turned away from Natsume to hide her reddening face. She got up and pretended to get her bag, which was still on the couch, and fished her cellphone. It rang a few moments after she got it from her bag.

"Hello?"

'_Mikan-san! You picked up last! I couldn't contact you earlier that's why I told Hotaru-chan to call you. I'm so worried. What happened?'_

"Mama, uh… nothing happened, actually. I was just a little preoccupied a while ago," Mikan said while taking a look on Natsume who was eyeing her curiously.

"Put her on speaker," he immediately told her. The brunette did as what he told her.

'_Is that Natsume?'_

"Yes, mother. Mikan is here in my office."

'_Wonderful, then. So I told Hotaru-chan to tell you about your honeymoon. It has been postponed for two days. Goodness! How about my grandchildren?'_

"Mother," Natsume spoke to Kaoru in a voice full of authority.

'_Pssh, Natsume. I'm getting old already. I wish to see my grandchildren soon.'_

Mikan blushed beet red after hearing what the old Hyuuga said, while Natsume sat on his chair, his hands gently massaging his temples and the bridge of his nose.

'_So as I was saying, I've already booked your flight again for the same location. You'll leave tomorrow, at exactly eight o'clock in the morning. Hopefully, there will be no other interruption this time.'_

Mikan was shocked. It was too sudden. Well, she was prepared for a honeymoon but… _but_! Her mind was still in haywire because of what had happened earlier. But she quite agreed to what the Old Hyuuga said. She, too, hope that there would be no interruptions for her and Natsume this time. Again, she felt her whole face flush because of what she's thinking.

"Mama? What about the school? I haven't told the new principal that-"

'_Nonsense! I already informed Tamaki Suoh-san that you'll be on vacation because of your honeymoon for two weeks. Isn't that great?'_

"Tamaki Suoh? Who's that?"

She heard Kaoru giggle on the other line.

'_He's the new principal in your school, dear. Haven't you met him? Oh, he's just plain charming. He used to be a president in a host club when he was in high school together with his other friends. And oh, I think he also asked Natsume to be a host, too. Too bad my son was too anti-social so he declined.'_

A host club? What?

(A/N: I do not own Tamaki Suoh or Ouran High School Host Club. I wish I do though. Especially the Hitachiin twins, Usa-chan, Nekozawa-senpai and Honey-senpai XD **I didn't remove this disclaimer for a reason. Haha! I l simply love OHSHC. Woohoo!**)

'_So back to our main topic here. I already told the maids to pack your things. I can see my cute grandchildren coming already! Oh, yeah!'_

Mikan and Natsume sweatdropped as the call ended. The brunette could only stare at her husband.

"You were asked to join a host club when you were in high school?" she asked him while preventing herself to laugh.

"Yeah. So?"

Now, Mikan couldn't help but laugh. She knew Natsume was handsome, gorgeous even, to be invited to join a host club, but she couldn't just imagine him, well… hosting girls and being nice to them. Yeah. It's too _out of character_ for Mikan's liking.

"What are you laughing at, Polka?" he asked her before launching himself at her and mercilessly poking her sides.

Mikan's laughter could be heard even outside Natsume's office. And Matsuhara-san could only smile because of that.

* * *

Sumire was fuming. She found out a while ago that Natsume and his wife were going outside the country to have their honeymoon. She was just so angry that she could shout at Hotaru.

Oh, yes. Even Hotaru got mad at her earlier.

"Why? Why? Why go on a honeymoon with her if I'm just right here, Natsume-sama?" she asked. Too bad Natsume couldn't hear her. Or was it the other way around?

"What did you say?" a lady asked her. She was dressed in _bright orange_, from _head to toe_. Sumire almost flinched when she look at the lady. What she was wearing almost hurt her eyes, well… almost. The woman was still stunningly beautiful though.

And she remembered this woman. It was that Koizumi, the woman who kissed Natsume in the lobby two days ago.

Sumire frowned.

"Why are you here?" she asked Luna coldly. Luna smirked at her, before putting an orange-flavored candy inside her mouth.

"I heard you said something about Natsume going outside the country a while ago. What about it?"

Sumire smirked at her while eyeing her from head to toe. She then snickered and put away all the things that she needed to be done by the end of her break.

"Nothing. So just go away. You're ruining my break."

"Listen here," Luna said, as she took a glance on Sumire's ID, "Listen, Shouda. Tell me all the things you know about this trip and maybe… I'll reward you something… good."

Sumire laughed, with Luna shocked at her expression.

"No. I don't want those good things. Especially from you. So just go away," Sumire said and excused herself and went to the restroom. A moment later, after talking to herself in front of the mirror, she got her phone and dialled a familiar number.

"Hey, Wakako. I'm so depressed today. Did you know that Natsume-sama will go on honeymoon with his wife…"

Sumire talked and talked there, venting her emotions on her best friend without even noticing the smirking Luna standing near the door.

* * *

It was still early that morning when an alarm clock made noises in order to wake two people up.

Natsume switched the alarm off, harshly muttering some words under his breath. He then glanced at his side and looked at his still sleeping wife. He gently touched her face, gently tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

He ran his thumb on her succulent looking lips, before touching her cheeks once again. A grin could be seen on his face as he gently ran his fingertips on her smooth cheeks. His grin turned into a smirk as he pinched her cheeks really hard. Mikan could only yelp, after opening her sleepy eyes. Cupping her hurt cheek, she glared at Natsume and muttered a curse at him.

"Nuh-uh. Bad mouth on such a beautiful morning, Polka," he said as he motioned to get up from their bed. He whistled as he decided to go inside the bathroom. But Mikan beat him to it. Oh. He would certainly enjoy waiting for her to finish taking a bath for at least an hour, doing nothing.

Could you say boring?

...

Yeah! At last after almost thirty minutes of spending inside the bathroom, Mikan got out wearing her bathrobe and a towel wrapped around her head.

"Natsume! It's your turn to-" Mikan was then cut off by the sight of Natsume who was sleeping on a couch. The sight was funny because Natsume, who was tall, could be seen lying on a small couch, curled like a ball in order for him to lay down on it without falling.

The brunette softly giggled while looking at him. She gently nudged him and told him that it was finally his turn to take a bath.

Natsume's eyes opened slowly as he took a look at his wife. He clicked his tongue when he glanced on the wall clock, which was just hanging above the couch he was lying on, and found out that it was almost six o' clock in the morning. And they needed to get into the airport an hour before their flight. But whatever. He was Natsume Hyuuga. And a Hyuuga could do anything if it's only telling the airline to postpone their flight for another hour.

* * *

Luna was mad. She was at the airport before Mikan and Natsume's supposed to be flight, but where the hell were they? Luna Koizumi could only wonder as she looked at her plane ticket. She almost strangled the woman behind the counter when she saw read what was written on that piece of paper. It says there, **Seat No.: F21 ECONOMY CLASS.**

So Luna sat there, between an old man and a crying child, as she waited for the flight to be announced so that they could finally leave. But Luna inwardly groaned as she glared at the child beside her who was bawling his eyes out and calling for his mother.

Oh, yes.

This flight will be Luna's own version of torture.

_Yeahba!_

**End of chapter.**

* * *

**A/N:** I have a confession to make. Gaah. I'm too lazy to revise this story. Hahahaha- not. :| See how a year of not updating changes the author's writing style? :/


	8. Honeymoon, An Evil Plot by the Devil

Gakuen Alice? Disclaimed.

* * *

_**It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.**__** -Buddha**_

* * *

**Chapter 8: Honeymoon, An Evil Plot by the Devil**

It all happened so fast. One minute, he was with Mikan and then the next thing he knew, he was waking up, almost naked, inside _their_ room. And… with a sleeping Luna beside him, her chest was just covered by the blanket.

_Shit,_ he thought. _What the fuck did happen?_

He raked his brain for things that had happened last night but nothing came to him. He only remembered going to a bar with Mikan and after she told him she'd just go to the rest room, he couldn't remember anything. Oh, wait. He did see Luna Koizumi walking near him to ask him for a dance. Of course he declined but after that… he really couldn't remember anything _at all._

He took a glance at Luna before knotting his forehead.

'_What the hell did I do? _Fuck_.'_

He got up and sat on the side of the bed, before touching his temples. He forced himself to remember once again but he failed.

He winced when he felt some movement on his -_their_- bed. He looked at the woman who was just sleeping beside him a while ago.

"Good morning, Natsume _honey_," she said, smiling at him.

Natsume cringed.

"Koizumi… did something happen last night?"

He almost strangled her when she just smiled and hugged him from the back.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

Natsume smiled inwardly as the plane landed. In the end, they ended up using one of the Hyuuga's private planes.

"Natsume! Wait for me, will you?"

The raven-haired suppressed his smile and turned to Mikan.

"You're so slow. Why would I wait for you?" he said, mocking her. Natsume smirked when Mikan pouted, raised her head and walked passed him. And he almost laughed when she came back just as fast as she left him.

"Natsume, uh… where do we go now?"

His smirk got deeper.

"That's… a secret, Polka-dots."

True, it was still a secret for he himself didn't know where they would be heading. Tch. Trust their parents to plan for their honeymoon.

Pffft.

*****A/N: Kindly use your imagination for their honeymoon destination. XD*****

They toured around the place right after they finished unpacking. They would stay in that place for two weeks… why not enjoy it, perhaps, right?

They grew closer to each other as days passed by, but still, Mikan couldn't grasp some courage to tell Natsume how she really felt about him. Yes, they were married, but they were forced to. And on the first place, she wasn't supposed to like him anyway. But still, she couldn't help herself from falling for this man.

It was their third day that they decided to go out and explore the place. They bought souvenirs in almost all the stores they went into.

Five huge shopping bags were on Natsume's arms while Mikan was holding two. She jumped like a child when she spotted a howalon store just near the hotel they were staying at. They were supposed to return to their hotel room and eat dinner when she practically begged Natsume to buy her, uh… _five_ boxes of it. At first, Natsume refused but… well, you know how the story went. Mikan ended up buying ten boxes of howalons instead of five. Errr.

She skipped and hopped, like a child would do on her first out of the country trip. Mikan giggled when she felt the candy melted inside her mouth. Blushing because of its heavenly taste, she turned to Natsume and thanked him.

Natsume blinked twice as he saw her smiling at him while softly thanking him. He refrained himself from groaning when he noticed a lot of men admiringly eyeing _his_ wife. Mikan continued to giggle to herself, oblivious to the admiring stares she was getting.

_Hn. Whatever, _he thought. So even before he could restrain himself from doing so, he walked near Mikan and tugged on her free hand, he was carrying all the other bags on his left hand, which made the brunette stop on her tracks.

"Eh? Natsume, what's wrong?"

His own eyes widened when he felt her soft lips against his _once again_. He closed his eyes and deepened the kiss when he felt Mikan gasped. All their shopping bags were already on the side of the road, strewn and scattered everywhere when he snaked his arms around Mikan's waist.

Mikan sighed when she felt Natsume's arm on her waist and she closed both her eyes. She felt the hair on her arms stood when she felt Natsume's tongue on her lower lips, begging for entrance. She put her arms around his neck for support and entangled her fingers on his raven locks as she opened her mouth slightly. Her heart raced when as their fiery kiss went on.

One word from Mikan to Natsume: _amazing_. He was an amazing kisser. Her heart was still beating fast even when the kiss ended. They were still out of breath as they looked into each other's eyes.

Mikan felt like blushing when Natsume's lips curved into that familiar smirk of him.

"I knew it."

"What?" Mikan asked.

"You're so into me," Natsume said as he picked up their shopping bags. Reaching her hand, he intertwined his fingers with hers as they continued to walk to the hotel's direction, leaving the grief-stricken faces of some women and men on their backs.

No exchange of words was heard from the both of them after that incident. A few more kisses were shared though.

_Hihi ;)_

* * *

Mikan sighed as she woke up the next day. Yesterday was so… blissful for her. Her husband kept on kissing her and she liked every second of it. Hell, who wouldn't if the guy who was kissing her was the person she was in love with?

She sighed once again when she felt arms encircling her waist. She looked at Natsume's face and smiled.

"Ouch! That hurt, Polka-dots," the raven-head said, his voice was gentle as he touched his hurt cheek which Mikan just pinched.

Mikan laughed when he poked her sides. She tried to get away from his grasp, but Natsume was fast enough to turn over, causing the brunette to be held a prisoner.

The brunette's laugh trailed off when she saw Natsume's head lowering, aiming for her lips. She giggled when they heard his cellphone rang. Groaning, Natsume got up and answered his phone with a grunt.

"Imai," he said, controlling his voice.

'_You sound annoyed. Did I interrupt something?'_

"Tch. Just tell me what you want to say." He could imagine his cousin smirking on the other line.

'_I'm taking my flight now to get there. I'm going to join you in your precious honeymoon, dear cousin.'_

"What the hell?"

'_Patience, blockhead. Aunt Kaoru asked me to do this... with a corresponding amount, you know.'_

Natsume shook his head. He didn't really know why he got into a family like this one. But nevertheless, even if he wouldn't show it, he was happy he was a part of this crazy family. That he was a Hyuuga. If he wasn't, who knows? Maybe he wouldn't know the people he knew now. Tss. Enough of that.

"So… Is Ruka coming with you?" he said with a teasing voice.

'_What?'_

"Ruka. Is he coming? I heard from someone that you used to have a crush on him-"

'_Go to hell, Hyuuga,'_ Hotaru said, before hanging up on him.

"Tch. Touchy," Natsume said as he smirked. He only made that up, of course, but he didn't know that it could easily annoy his cousin so easily. Maybe… _haha_. No. It was Hotaru we were talking about here.

He then suddenly turned to Mikan, who was currently brushing her teeth on the kitchen sink. He found that quite… unusual but… well, never mind.

"Polka."

"Yeah?"

"Let's go out tonight."

"Where to?"

Natsume just smirked at her.

_Weeee_. This will be a wonderful night.

_Hmmm. I have a bad feeling about this,_ Mikan thought. But she just shrugged her shoulders, smiled and mentally thought of something to wear for the coming night.

* * *

Natsume pulled Mikan into the dance floor once again. She sighed as she leaned against him, against his muscular chest.

"Mikan," she heard him say. The brunette looked up and saw him looking intently at her. She felt her face flush as she stared back into his eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing."

They danced silently. And all the things that Mikan wanted to say to him were left unsaid. But that was until Natsume hugged her tightly and whispered to her ear, "I think I like you, Mikan."

Mikan stared at him, her eyes were wide. She was shocked because of what she just heard. She stared at him for a while and smiled.

"What? That's all you're going to do? Smile at me? I think you have something to tell me, Polka."

Mikan giggled.

"What could that be?" she asked.

"Say you like me, too, baka," Natsume whispered while blushing. The brunette playfully hit him on his forehead before gently touching his face.

"You like me, too, baka."

"Tch."

Mikan giggled again as she wrapped her arms around his neck. They swayed to the music once again.

"I think I like you, too, Natsume." She was half lying, of course. She knew the feeling she has for him but she couldn't say it now.

Maybe, she would have to wait for another chance to finally tell Natsume what she really felt for him. But for now… let's just say that they were just enjoying the moment, the music and the warmth of each other.

"I'll just go the rest room, Natsume," Mikan said. They were seated at a table just beside the dance floor.

He just nodded and told her that he'd wait for her on their table.

A while after, he saw Koizumi, who was wearing red from head to toe, walking towards him. She sat beside him and asked him for a dance. He scowled and told her to go away but she refused.

"Let's just drink, Natsume. Here, I got you one."

"I don't want it."

Luna tried her best not to snap back at him. She smiled sweetly at Natsume and told him to take the drink from her. Sighing, he gave in and got the glass of liquor from her. To make her go away, Natsume drank the whole content of the glass in just one gulp.

Luna evilly smiled when Natsume's head limply fell on the table.

* * *

Mikan was lost in the crowd. She couldn't find Natsume when she reached their table. She then felt a tug on her arm.

"Baka, it's me."

"Hotaru!" she exclaimed, as she tackled her best friend with a hug. "I'm so happy to see you here, Hotaru! Wait 'till Natsume finds out." She fell silent for a while. "Oh, wait. I couldn't find Natsume! Hotaru, help me!"

"Che. Maybe that blockhead went to your room already. Now, tell me. Did something happen between the two of you already?"

"Hotaru, what are you saying?" Mikan was blushing because of Hotaru's question.

"Nothing. Let's go to your room. Maybe Hyuuga is already there."

"Hotaru, I still have one problem." Mikan scratched her head before continuing. "I don't have our room key."

Hotaru could only shake her head. The two of them went to the front desk and asked for a spare key for Mikan and Natsume's room. A click was heard when the woman behind the counter said that someone already got the spare key.

"What do you mean?" Hotaru asked, as she touched the baka gun and pointed it at the woman's face.

"That's- that's-"

**Narrator: Hotaru wouldn't want to brag, but all her inventions were quite famous around the world. XD**

"Oh yeah. Mini baka gun version 1. Answer me or feel the wrath of Hotaru Imai."

Oh. The woman could only gulp with fear when she saw the look on the inventor's eyes.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

**LUNA'S POV**

I smirked when I saw Natsume-kun sitting on the edge of the bed. He was holding his temples and he looked desperate.

"Oi, Koizumi," I heard him say.

"Yes?" I said as I put my arms around him once again. He looked at me and his eyes almost turned black because of… what? Annoyance? Maybe. Anger? No doubt. Confusion? Seemed like it.

"What happened? I can't remember anything."

I smiled inwardly as he groaned with frustration.

Heh. I think my plan worked. I'm so good. Don't you think so?

_Mwahahahaha!_

* * *

**End of chapter.**

**A/N: **EDITED. I have a life outside the internet. Please understand that. Thanks for the reviews (even though I don't deserve them.), favorites and alerts.


	9. First to Fall, Last to Know

Gakuen Alice? Disclaimed.

* * *

_**I'm the first to fall and the last to know, where'd you go? -Heels Over Head by Boys Like Girls**_

* * *

**Chapter 9: First to Fall, Last to Know**

Hotaru's eyebrow twitched after reading Matsuhara-san's e-mail. It was sent to her yesterday, just after her arrival here.

_Imai-sama, _the e-mail said, _certain news has reached my ears that Koizumi-san indeed took a flight to follow Hyuuga-sama in his honeymoon. (I was surprised when I heard about this, you know, for it sounded like something she'll do if she really wants something for herself.)_

_I also heard that she arrived a lot earlier there, and that she stays at a hotel just near yours and Hyuuga-sama. (But I have a feeling that she's going to move there in your hotel, sooner or later.)_

_That's all, Imai-sama._

_P.S.: I heard all these stuff from a friend of mine, Wakako. She who works at the airport and she's also one of Hyuuga-sama's… fangirls. And she told me that she heard about the honeymoon from your secretary. Small world, huh?_

_P.P.S.: Nogi-sama called me several times and he was asking for you. What should I tell him? (You may wonder why he calls me instead of your secretary. But he told me the other day that Sumire-san gives her the creeps.)_

_P.P.P.S.: That's all. Please do tell Hyuuga-sama to take care of himself and Mikan-san, too._

With her heart still fluttering inside her chest, Hotaru shut down her laptop. Why would that Nogi look for her?

_Tch, Hotaru. You'll just hurt yourself again, _she thought.

She then looked at Mikan who was sleeping on her bed. They didn't get the spare key to their room last night that was why her best friend was now occupying her bed. And was now mercilessly drooling on her pillow.

Hotaru shook her head. _Some things never change, huh?_

And to keep things from further changing, she would do anything to keep them in place.

Even if it means ignoring her heart for the second time of her life.

* * *

Natsume stood up, causing Luna to fall on the floor.

"Natsume-kun! Why did you do that for?" she asked annoyingly. Natsume just clicked his tongue and chose to ignore her. If he could only remember, his cousin told him last night the number of the room she was staying at.

After getting dressed inside the bathroom, he turned to Luna. He then glared at her with all his might.

"Go away. I don't want to see your face anymore, bitch."

"Ouch. That hurt, Natsume-kun. Why would you call the woman who just spent the night with you a bitch?"

Natsume felt veins on his forehead popped. "For your information, hag, I don't remember anything that happened last night. So that means nothing happened between us."

Luna smirked. "You may not remember but I do. So shut the fuck up and listen to me, Natsume-kun," Luna said before getting up from the bed, clutching the blanket on her chest. "Something happened last night and you know it. You're just denying the fact that," she smirked once again and Natsume thanked God that she was a woman. If she wasn't, he wondered about the things that he could do to her by now. "…you enjoyed it."

Shaking his head, Natsume turned away from her when she started to get her clothes that were lying on the floor to get dressed. Checking if the key was on his pocket, he decided to go out of the room to look for his wife.

"Leave if you're done. Just don't fucking forget to lock the door." And with that, he went out of the room, leaving Luna with a smile on her lips.

"Looks like I succeeded… _somehow_."

She cackled evilly as she touched her flat stomach.

"Now, on to the next plan," she said, while laughing like an idiot while getting dressed.

* * *

On Natsume's third knock, the door finally opened. It revealed his cousin, who was still wearing the dress she wore last night.

Hotaru's eyebrow rose.

"Where have you gone to, blockhead?"

Natsume just grunted. "Tch. Just tell me where that baka is. I haven't seen her since last night."

"And she hasn't seen you, too. Come on in. The baka is still sleeping. She got tired looking for you the whole night. And she was really worried, you know."

"I know," Natsume said. Hotaru opened the door even wider. But she suddenly stopped when Natsume grabbed on her wrist.

"What?"

"Koizumi."

The inventor smirked.

"She's finally on the move? Che."

"On the move? What do you mean by that?"

"We'll just observe her moves. And Natsume?

Natsume looked at his cousin. "Yeah?"

"Shut up. The baka is awake."

"Hn."

Mikan opened her eyes when she heard someone else's voice. It was Natsume's.

She gently rubbed her eyes before stretching both her arms like a cat on Hotaru's bed. She immediately got up and went near the door.

"Natsume?" she called. She saw her husband turned his head to her direction when he heard her voice.

Natsume's expression softened when he saw her, still on her clothes she wore last night. He cracked a little smile and walked towards her.

The brunette smiled brightly at him. She sighed when he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Where were you last night? I looked at you all over the place with Hotaru."

"Hn," he grunted while taking in her sweet scent.

They broke the hug when they heard Hotaru coughing softly to catch their attention beside them. But still, Natsume didn't let go of her hand.

Hotaru looked at their clasped hands and then to Natsume's face. She then smirked.

"I'm still here, you know," she said, making Mikan blush with embarrassment. "And cousin dear?"

Natsume cocked his head to his cousin's direction. "Hn?"

"I believe that you have the key to your room. So if you please, you may leave."

"Tch." Natsume pulled Mikan out of Hotaru's room after nodding at his cousin, as a sign of his thanks.

"And Natsume?"

"What again, Imai?"

Hotaru cracked a small smile. "Beware of the devil. That's all," Hotaru said, before slamming the door on their faces.

"Devil?" Mikan curiously asked.

And all that Natsume could do was to shrug his shoulders.

* * *

The next few days had been blissful to the both of them. They kept on enjoying each other's company during the days that had passed.

Natsume blinked. He hadn't realized that he has been staring at his sleeping wife for over five minutes. He smiled when he remembered their first meeting.

He was amused with her the moment she entered her father's office. She was not like those other women who kept on ogling him the moment they saw him. She was not like those other women who wanted to get his attention.

Well, she got his attention effortlessly and without even trying.

He winced when he remembered the way she threw the green stapler to his face, without even an ounce of guilt on that pretty face of hers. He gently touched his smooth forehead where a huge bump had been a few months ago.

He shook his head at that… memory.

And he also remembered… that was the only day that he said words… no… sentences in only a span of minutes. He raked his brain for the reason why and the only answer was his heart beating loudly on his chest the instant she walked inside the room.

Natsume coughed when he felt the warmth spreading on his cheeks upon remembering that day._ Tsss_.

This was impossible.

Natsume Hyuuga never blushed. Ugh. What was happening to him?

And then he remembered Koko saying something like, "_You got it bad, man_."

_Was Koko thinking back then the thing that he was thinking right now?_

_Errr,_ Natsume ran his fingers through his raven locks unconsciously. _Now I'm really confused._

* * *

Hotaru's eyebrow rose when she checked her e-mails once again. There was an unread e-mail from Matsuhara-san once again. Sighing, she opened it and read what was written on the e-mail.

_Imai-sama, sorry to bother you again, but I have told Nogi-sama about your little vacation. And he told me to tell you that he was planning on going there, too, because he said that he really needs to have a talk with you (the reason why was still unknown to me, though.)_

_P.S.: Sumire-san told him where all of you were staying at._

_P.P.S.: Nogi-sama said he will be taking a flight to get there the next day after tomorrow. And that he wants you to pick him up at the airport at the day of his arrival._

_P.P.P.S: Sometimes, you have to take risks concerning your own happiness. Because sometimes, those risks were the reason why you're happy, why you feel contented. Sometimes, there is more to regret on things that we didn't even try to do than the things we did. That's all. Take care of yourself, Imai-sama._

"Che," Hotaru mumbled under her breath after reading the message. "I'm starting to hate her e-mails now."

Hotaru ignored her laptop for a while, as she felt her heart going crazy inside her chest, though her face contained that poker-faced expression.

_Really,_ she thought. _Is she somehow advising me to… confess to that Nogi? Tch. How troublesome._

"But wait. How did she even know?" she whispered to herself.

And just then, a window pooped out on her desktop.

_1 unread e-mail…_

She opened it and Hotaru almost screamed her lungs out. But well… she didn't. She's Hotaru Imai after all.

_It's in your eyes, Imai-sama, _the e-mail from Matsuhara-san said, as if answering her question a moment ago.

Pfft. Now, she promised to herself, she'll never read one of Matsuhara-san's e-mails ever again.

**End of chapter.**

* * *

**A/N:** EDITED. Thanks for the reviews, alerts and favorites. :) I will edit and post the next chapter when I want to. Yes, just to irritate anons more. And yes, I'm a sadist :p


	10. A Whole New Problem

Gakuen Alice? Disclaimed.

* * *

**It's not having all that you want.**

**It's about appreciating all that you have.**

**To fail means you've tried.**

**To get hurt means you've loved.**

**And to survive means you've learned.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: A Whole New Problem**

Mikan stretched both her hands as she leaned against her seat once again. She rubbed her sleepy eyes as she looked at her wrist watch. It has been three days since the four of them, with Ruka, went back to Japan.

**FLASHBACK**

The two of them noticed the growing closeness between Hotaru and Ruka during the time they spent together at the place where they had their so-called honeymoon. Well, they even caught the two of them almost kissing the night before their flight back to Japan.

"It's this close. Why do you always know when to ruin the perfect moment for me, man?" Ruka whined. Hotaru and Mikan decided to have a girl's night out that night.

Natsume smirked at him. "That's for me to know and for you to find out."

Ruka's forehead creased.

"So, what happened between the two of you?"

The blonde blushed. "Well, I kind of confessed… but, she beat me to it and kissed me first."

Natsume chuckled.

"Wait. I don't need to tell you that. Tsss. Just forget about it, Natsume!"

"Okay, Ruka. I'll forget that you told me that you and my cousin are already dating."

Ruka blushed even more. "Natsume!"

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

It was almost lunch time. The reason why Mikan was hungry… probably.

"Anna, are you going to take your lunch now?" she asked her friend, who just took her seat next to her.

"Yeah. I'm quite hungry now."

So they stood up and put their things inside their drawers. Both of them went to their cafeteria and bought some food for their lunch after.

"Uh, where's Nonoko? I haven't seen her all morning."

Anna shrugged her shoulders and put another piece of cookie inside her mouth. "I don't know. But I heard form Hideki-sensei that one of her students was suddenly rushed into the hospital. Asthma attack."

Mikan nodded and continued eating.

Ten minutes after, the bell rang, signalling the end of their lunch break.

Mikan walked into the classroom where she's supposed to teach her next class. Her eyes curved into a smile when she saw a certain raven-haired man, seated at the back of the classroom. A group of some boys were surrounding him.

"Teacher, teacher! You have a visitor," one of her students told her. She smiled at the ten-year old kid and touched his head.

_Oh, how cute Kaname could be, _she thought and giggled. "I know. I already saw him, Kaname-kun."

"Teacher," another girl raised her hand and stood up. She then turned to Natsume and pointed at him. "He's your husband, right? I saw it on TV last month. I even saw you kissed each other inside the church. Just like my mom and dad."

Natsume smirked. These children were smart… _and _cute.

Mikan blushed at what she heard. _These children were only ten years old! How could they know such things?_

"Husband? How could that be?" a pouting Kaname retorted. "Teacher Mikan said she'll marry me someday when I grow up!" He turned to a stunned Mikan, his cheeks were reddening because of the clear annoyance on his cute little face. "Ne, teacher?"

Mikan gulped and looked at the raven-head, who was now raising one of his eyebrows. She then looked at little who was glaring at the cute little girl named Nobara.

"You know, Kaname-kun," she said, while gently touching his head, "Nobara-chan is right. He's really my husband. And I'm too old for you…" she quietly whispered.

Tear starts to well up from the little boy's eyes. "But, but, but… I want you to marry me, Teacher! Why? Why did you do this to _meeeeee_?"

The brunette didn't know what to do. Then suddenly, Natsume walked near them and kneeled beside the crying Kaname. He then whispered something on the little boy's ears. Kaname sobbed, wiped the tears on his cheeks and stopped crying when Natsume got up on his feet and dusted his pants.

"That should do it," he said, while winking at her.

Mikan blinked. "What exactly did you tell him?"

The raven-head looked at Kaname who sat down on his chair. He smirked when he called Nobara and told her to take a seat beside him.

"Easy," he said, a smirk was visible on his face. "I told him that that little girl looks exactly like you when you were young, and that they'll look good together when they grow up. And _tadah_! Problem solved, competition removed."

Natsume frowned when he received a smack on the back of his head. "Aw!"

"What are you doing here anyway?"

"Let's go out on a date," Natsume sheepishly told her afterwards.

Mikan's eyebrows rose at first, and then, after a while, she nodded and smiled at him.

"Ah, teacher? Aren't we going to start our lesson now?" Nobara asked.

"Oops," they both said after looking at each other.

* * *

He waited for Mikan until her classes ended.

"I'll just get my things inside, okay?"

"Hn," Natsume answered as he leaned against the wall.

"Mikan-san! Mika- Oh! Who are you beautiful creature?" an old woman said, while looking at Natsume from head to foot. "It's the first time I saw you, but you look oddly familiar. Hmmm?" Arisa Mori, one of Mikan's co-teachers, looked at him with her face a little closer to his face this time.

The raven-head coughed softly and gently pushed the old woman away from him.

"Really? Where have I seen you before, you beautiful creature?" The old woman even touched her chin and started to think.

"Natsume, let's go?" Mikan said, as soon as she got out of the faculty room. He thankfully looked at her and nodded. He then got Mikan's free hand and pulled her to the direction of the parking lot.

"Hey, beautiful creature! Where are you taking Mikan-san?"

Natsume looked back at the old woman and smirked. "I'm taking my wife to a date," he then said.

"Eh? Natsume Hyuuga? Ah! So that's why you're familiar to me," the old woman then clicked her tongue. "I bet if I'm just twenty years younger now, you'll probably be married to me instead of her."

Mikan giggled at Natsume's reaction, while the old woman laughed.

"Joking. I was joking, you know, Hyuuga-san," she said and started to walked into the faculty room. But before finally entering the door, she looked at the couple's direction once again and said, "By the way, you two look good together. Good luck on your date, beautiful creatures!"

The brunette then tagged Natsume's hand to get his attention. "Don't mind her. Mori-san is always like that," she said afterwards.

He grunted as a response and kicked a random stone.

"But you know, she got two things right about us."

The brunette's forehead creased because of her confusion. Natsume looked at her and grinned.

"Think about it, idiot. I'm too lazy to tell them to you. Figure them out yourself."

The two of them ate dinner at a fancy restaurant afterwards.

"So… where to now?" the brunette asked when Natsume put his keys in the ignition of his car. The raven-haired looked at her and then back into the road again.

"Where going to meet you parents. They badly miss you, you know."

Mikan smiled broadly at him. "I miss them, too. Even my brothers."

"You have brothers? You didn't even tell me," Natsume said, with his eyes still fixed on the road.

"Well, you didn't ask, jerk. Just drive and drive until we die."

"You first, idiot. I still want to live."

"Me, too. Hey! I said just drive, you know."

"_Hai, hai_."

* * *

Three silhouettes can be seen at the dining hall that night at the Sakura mansion. The two ladies grinned as they raised their wine glasses for another toast that night.

"You must see the two of them, Izumi. They look so perfect together," Kaoru said, before putting her wine glass near her lips once again.

"Yeah, I can only imagine. It's good that my daughter agreed to our plan, Kaoru."

"You actually didn't give her other options at all."

Kaoru and Izumi looked at the bored Yuka. She noticed this and sheepishly grinned at the two afterwards. "But I, too, was happy that our children did end up marrying each other. Just like what we wanted when they were still kids."

"Of course, you are," the old Hyuuga said and dreamily smiled. "And by the end of this year, we'll probably have our grandchildren running around this mansion! Oh, I could hardly wait!"

The three raised their glasses for another toast yet again.

"Mom, dad!" Mikan said, before tackling her parents from behind. "I miss both of you very much!"

A small smile formed on Izumi's lips. "I missed you, too, my daughter. More than you can ever imagine."

Mikan's tears started to form on her eyes. It was the first time she'd ever heard those words from her father.

"Dad…"

"Ah, I'm still here, you know?" Yuka said while pouting. "I missed you these past few weeks, Mimi."

"I missed you, too, mom," Mikan said and hugged her mother tightly.

Kaoru coughed softly to get their attention. "We better stop this drama now. So, both of you, tell us. How about having our grandchildren before the end of this year?"

Natsume and Mikan groaned because of what they heard. Okay here they go again.

Natsume met Youichi and Tsubasa when they got home that night.

"So… are you already used to her snores at night?"

Natsume looked at Mikan first and then back to Tsubasa. He then nodded after a few seconds.

"Hey, I don't snore!"

"You do," Youichi butted in, with a reviewer on his hand. "That's why I don't want to share a room with you back when we were little."

"Eh? I thought you don't want to share with me because I'm a girl?" Mikan asked her brother. Youichi looked at her and raised his eyebrows.

"Well, that's one. But the snoring thing is the major reason why I didn't want to share a room with you."

"Eh? Mom, do I snore?"

Yuka and Kaoru just laughed at her question. The brunette pouted at them. And then suddenly, Izumi said, "No, Mikan. You don't snore. I should know. I always check-up on you when you were little."

Well, how would you know? Her father cared for her and he still do up to now.

So… Natsume, Mikan and Kaoru went home that night with smiles (and a grin on Natsume's case) on their faces.

* * *

**A week later…  
**

Sumire sighed once again as she answered the phone for the nth time that day. She was not feeling well today and could only wonder why.

"Hello?"

'_Uh, hello. Can I… Can I talk to Miss Hotaru Imai, please? Tell her it's urgent.'_

'_Hmm. Urgent? What seems to be the problem now?'_ she thought, before asking the caller who he was.

'_Uh, tell her it's Dr. Yuu Tobita from Tokyo General.'_

"Okay, sir. Please wait a minute. I'll tell Imai-sama. Excuse me."

Because her boss was insanely busy that time, she knocked inside her office and went inside.

"Imai-sama, someone called just now. He said he's Yuu Tobita from the Tokyo General."

Hotaru's ears perked from what her secretary had said.

"Come again?" she said, lifting her head from her piles of business papers she was reading just to look at her secretary.

Sumire fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Dr. Yuu Tobita from Tokyo General is asking for you. He is currently on the phone waiting to talk to you."

Hotaru nodded her head and looked at the papers on her desk once again. She thought it was Ruka who was calling her. _Errr_. Never mind. He would call later… for sure.

"Hmm. What could be the problem now?" she whispered to herself.

Dr. Yuu Tobita, a young OB-Gyne in Tokyo General. He was their –her and Mikan- senpai when they were in high school, being two years older than them.

After a few minutes, she was talking to him on the phone inside her office.

"So, senpai, why did you call?"

Hotaru heard someone chuckling on the other line. And knowing him, he was probably pushing his glasses upward the bridge of his nose.

"Nothing much. I just want to talk to my kouhai," Yuu said. The three of them were quite close when they were still in high school, considering that they were members of the same club. "And yeah… about a problem. Isn't it that Natsume Hyuuga is Mikan's husband? I even attended their wedding…"

After a few seconds of silence, Hotaru heard him say something once again.

"Yeah. That's his name… I think. He's your cousin, right, Imai-san?"

Hotaru put down the papers she was reading, the cordless phone was still held by her right hand near her ear.

"Yeah, that blockhead is my cousin. And stop babbling senpai. My head's already aching."

She heard another batch of chuckling again, before it suddenly stopped.

"Then why did a woman….? A woman came here yesterday for check-up."

"So?" she emotionlessly said.

"And she… she's pregnant."

Hotaru snickered. "Of course. Women with that kind of condition usually go to an OB-Gyne, senpai," she told him sarcastically.

"I'm not yet done with what I'm saying, Imai-san. She claims that she's pregnant with Hyuuga-san's child."

"Oh," she said, before shifting the phone to her left hand and placing it near her ear once again.

_She claims that she's pregnant with Hyuuga-san's child._

_She claims that she's pregnant with Hyuuga-san's child…_

_She claims that she's pregnant with Hyuuga-san's child!_

_She claims that she's pregnant with-_

"What the _fuck_?" she said. Her voice was as cold as ever.

"I actually had the same reaction when she told me yesterday, Imai-san."

Hotaru walked to Natsume's office as if she was riding on _Harry Potter's Firebolt _(**A/N: ****I do not own anything**). You've guessed it. She almost ran, or flew, to her cousin's office.

She even ignored Koko, who currently was wearing his leather jacket (with different patches of different car companies on front of it) and his racing gloves on both his hands. He was even holding a helmet on his right hand.

Koko scratched his head after Hotaru walked passed by him, completely ignoring his presence. He turned to the busy Sumire and asked her, "What's wrong with your boss?"

Sumire frowned and shook her head. "I don't know. And can't you see I'm-"

Her words were cut off when she lifted her head to look at him. _Oh, the handsome pizza guy,_ she told herself. _The only difference is he was not on his uniform today. I wonder why…_

"Uhm, Permy?"

Her eyes sharpened when he heard his words. What did he just call her? "Excuse me?"

He chuckled in response. And after running his hand through his dirty locks, Sumire almost cursed audibly mind you, he looked at her and she almost melted when he smiled at her.

"You won't congratulate me?"

One of Sumire's eyebrows rose. "And why should I do that?"

Koko chuckled and put his free hand on his jacket's pocket.

"Oh… I just won first place in Australian Grand Prix," he said while gently smiling at her.

Sumire was shocked. "I thought you're a pizza guy! How come you're a car racer, too?" she shrieked. He chuckled.

And the cycle continued.

* * *

_So… back to Hotaru Imai._

She was panting heavily when she reached Natsume's office.

"Ah, ma'am?"

Hotaru turned to Matsuhara-san.

"Why?"

"Natsume-sama told me not to let anyone enter his office now. He's so busy because of-"

"I was still mad at you because of what you did _last chapter_. (A/N: *cough, cough*) Anyway… I need to go see Natsume. Badly. It's important."

"May I ask why, ma'am?"

"I'm gonna rip his head from his body and feed him to the tigers, lions and probably alligators in the zoo."

Matsuhara-san sweatdropped when Hotaru slammed the door close in front of her face.

Both of Natsume's eyebrows rose when Hotaru came into his office. And she was now walking around like crazy… from the end of his table to the door.

"Imai, you're making me dizzy. Stop doing that," he said. He almost gulped when Hotaru glared at him.

"We have a problem, Hyuuga. Oh… scratch that. You have a problem. And I won't help you this time."

"Tch. When there a time that you even helped me?"

Hotaru stopped walking and faced him. She then glared at him with all her might. "Oh yeah. Then I'll promise not to help you this time, blockhead."

"Hn. What's the problem, anyway?"

Hotaru was holding her temples with both of her hands right now.

"The Koizumi Devil."

Natsume's forehead creased. "What?"

"The Devil claims that she's pregnant…"

Natsume turned his swivel chair, just like a bored child with nothing to do. "And?"

Hotaru smirked.

"With _you _as the father."

There was a long pause before the whole office shook because of Natsume's voice. "_What the fuck_?"

"Exactly like my reaction just a while ago," Hotaru said, her forehead knotted.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"How sure?" Natsume asked.

"The doctor himself told me, blockhead. What the fuck did you do this time, Natsume Hyuuga?"

Natsume shook his head.

"To tell you the truth… I don't know, too, Imai."

**End of chapter.**

* * *

**A/N: **EDITED. Thanks for the reviews, alerts and favorites. :) Not much has changed, because I'm too lazy to revise. Haha.


	11. For the First Time

Gakuen Alice? Disclaimed. Damn.

* * *

**Never assume that great love is enough to make somebody stay**

**Because when the pain strikes, no great love is enough to turn back the clock.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: For the First Time**

"_The doctor himself told me, blockhead. What the fuck did you do this time, Natsume Hyuuga?"_

_Natsume shook his head._

"_To tell you the truth… I don't know, too, Imai."_

So… Natsume Hyuuga found out that he was really the child's father. That was why he decided to file a divorce case against Mikan for him to be able to marry Luna Koizumi _bitch_.

Mikan was so devastated that she committed suicide.

THE END.

* * *

**A/N: **I didn't remove this because I find this part amusing. Hahahaha :) I don't even remember writing something like this ._.

* * *

For the first time in his life, Natsume Hyuuga finally didn't know what to do.

He ran his hands through his raven locks and bowed his head. His cousin left a few minutes go to go to that hospital and to talk with that doctor Yuu… whoever he was.

He tried to recall all the things that happened to him and to that, *cough* spare my language people *cough*, _bitch_ when he and Mikan were still on honeymoon.

He remembered the Luna bitch walking towards him, asking him to dance and then offering him something to drink. Then, after that, he couldn't remember anything anymore.

_Tsss. What the hell did happen?_

He sighed and once again, ran his fingers through his messy raven locks for the nth time. He then put a hand on his temple and gently massaged it. He got his phone and searched for Hotaru's number and dialled it.

"Ne, Imai," he said when she picked it up.

'_What, blockhead?'_

He frowned when he heard her voice. But what the hell… "Could you me a favor?"

'_Sure. But everything comes with a price, you know.'_

No surprises there. She's still the same cold cousin that he knew way back then. Except now that she was dating his best friend.

He grunted.

Ruka and Hotaru? Really. What an irony. He really was wondering on how Ruka's was able to withstand Hotaru's personality issues.

But yeah… back to the business.

He told Hotaru his plans and that inventor wannabe agreed to them.

And for the first time in his life, he finally admitted to himself. He was definitely thanking Hotaru for being there for him this time. Even though her help would cost him quite a sum of money. But never mind.

This was for _her_, for _them_, after all.

* * *

Hotaru Imai walked through the corridor with elegance and grace. She suddenly stopped at the nurse's station and asked them for Yuu's office.

"Straight ahead then turn right. The second door to the left is Dr. Tobita's office, ma'am," a nurse said, before talking to another nurse. They were giggling and they were talking about something… _girly_, she thought. She sneered at them. Really, they should be doing their jobs, ne?

"Dr. Imai is really… _ahhh_! I can't even find words how to describe him."

"Yeah. Even though he hadn't gone home for five freakin' days to stay here in the hospital, he is still as dreamy as ever!" the nurse who talked to her earlier said.

_Subaru Imai._

How could she forget about her brother? He was working in this hospital. Psssh. Scratch that. He literally owns this hospital, along with five others around Japan.

Hotaru then turned to the nurses, one of her eyebrows raised. "Ah, excuse me again?"

She reminded herself to shoot these two nurses with her baka gun the next time she visits here, because they were obviously annoyed with her.

_Pffft. Whatever,_ she thought.

"Could you please me where Subaru's office, too?"

The nurses' face scrunched up when they heard what she just called their _dreamy_ Dr. Imai.

"And why would we tell you?" asked the second nurse, before giving Hotaru a nice bitchy head to toe look.

But Hotaru didn't mind. Instead, she replied, "I'm her girlfriend. Happy?" she coldly told them.

Shock was written on both their faces when they heard what she just said.

"What?" the two nurses asked at the same time.

And as if on cue, Dr. Subaru Imai himself appeared on his full glory, rendering the two women into silence.

"Yanagisawa-san, Hichido-san, silence please. If you remember correctly, you're in a hospital."

Hotaru snickered at them, even though they didn't seem to mind his brother's warning. She laced her arms through his which made the nurses come into their senses.

They were silently praying that the doctor would harshly pull her arms out of his and tell her to get lost (just like what he usually do with most of the female nurses in that hospital) but none came. Instead, Subaru sighed and held his sisters' face.

"Have you been getting enough sleep, Hotaru?" he asked. The nurses wanted to cry because of jealousy when they saw the interaction.

"No," she coldly answered. "Where's your office by the way?"

He pointed at the door just right next to the nurses' station. She then pulled him into his office direction and said, "By the way, I don't like the nurses here, _Nii-san_," she said, putting an emphasis on the last word that she said, making sure that both of the nurses that told her off a while ago could hear.

"They were quite alright, I guess."

"Not when they are almost throwing themselves at you, ne, Nii-san?" she asked.

Subaru looked at her and sat on his swivel chair. He then took the stethoscope off his neck.

"Fire them."

"And why is that?"

"They almost bit my head off when I told them I am your girlfriend."

Subaru only shook his head. Really, his younger sister was too protective of him when it should have been the other way around.

"What are you doing here, Hotaru?"

The raven-haired woman took a sit first before answering his question. "I'm here to see Yuu-senpai."

Subaru's eyebrows rose.

"And I need your help, too, Nii-san."

The doctor nodded his head and leaned on his seat. He then got his cellphone and dialed someone's number. He closed his eyes, and Hotaru could see that he was really tired.

_Maybe he should go home first, _she thought.

"Hello, Dr. Tobita… Yes, Imai here. Are you busy now? No? There's someone here in my office who wants to see you… Okay. Yeah. See you."

Hotaru was checking her fingernails when the call ended. She heard her brother rumble something under his breath before getting her attention.

"Dr. Tobita said that he's going here after finishing another check-up."

* * *

Fifteen minutes passed and Yuu came into Subaru's office. He nodded At Hotaru's direction as a greeting and did the same towards Subaru's.

"So… Imai-san, what do you want to discuss with me?"

Hotaru looked at his senpai, who merely changed these past few years. He was still wearing that eyeglasses… and he still looked gay to her. But, yeah.

_Enough of that, Hotaru. You need his help, baka._

Shaking her head, Hotaru smirked and said, "I need both of your help… this concerns the baka and the blockhead."

Subaru, the _dreamy_ doctor, and Yuu looked at each other. Yuu almost laughed with Hotaru's descriptions.

Because… at all means, the baka means Mikan Sa- Hyuuga, I mean, and the blockhead was no other than Natsume Hyuuga.

The _dreamy_ doctor smirked and closed his eyes once more while listening to his sister.

_This is going to be so much fun,_ he thought.

* * *

Mikan immediately got her things from the faculty room and put them inside her bag. The classes were just over and she knew that Natsume was going to pick her up this time again.

She smiled to herself and was humming a tune when she suddenly heard Nonoko's voice just outside the faculty room.

"Uhm, miss, you really can't go in there."

"And why?" a sickly sweet voice answered. Mikan knew at first that the woman was no other than Luna Koizumi herself.

"First, you're not a teacher. Second, even though the classes were over, there are still some students here inside the campus. And they might think that it's proper to wear…_ clothes_ like that."

Mikan almost laughed at Nonoko's comment about Luna's clothes when she went outside the faculty room with her things inside her bag. Truth to be told, Luna seemed so out of place in that school with her choice of fashion. Luna was wearing purple from head to toe, with matching sunglasses which was covering her eyes.

She suddenly lifted her sunglasses and looked at her. "Oh. Mikan, I need to talk to you."

Mikan bit her lower lip to prevent herself from laughing. Her eyebrows rose when she heard what the woman said.

"Eh? Why?"

"Nothing. I just want to tell you something…_ important_," the strawberry blonde-haired woman said. She then turned to Nonoko's direction and smiled before saying, "Now, if you'll excuse us. Mikan, let's go."

Nonoko rolled her eyes to Mikan's direction before going inside the faculty room.

"But, Natsume said that he's going to pick me up-"

A side of Luna's lipstick-covered lips curved upward. "Oh, really? Then call him. Tell him something came up."

"But-"

"Mikan! Your beautiful husband is here!" shouted Arisa Mori, with Natsume tailing behind her.

"I'm sorry I'm late. There just so many things to think-" The raven-haired's words were cut off when he saw a smirking Luna beside his wife. His hand unconsciously clenched into a fist.

"Good, then. Natsume-kun is here," Luna said, before turning away from the both of them. She took four steps away from the couple before she turned to face the both of them again. "Let's go. Let's talk someplace else."

Mikan suddenly felt Natsume's hand on her wrist. She then looked at her husband's face. "What's wrong, Natsume?"

"We don't have to go with her."

"Why? Koizumi-san said she has something to tell me," the brunette said, before gently touching her chin with her index finger. "I wonder what it was…"

Natsume closed his eyes and held his wife's shoulders. This caught Mikan off guard. He then opened his eyes and stared at her hazel orbs.

"Natsume?"

"Just- _Mikan,_ promise me. Don't believe whatever that bitch tells us today. Just… just trust me, okay?"

_Mikan,_ she thought. _She called my name. Not Polka. Hmmm._

The brunette touched Natsume's forehead and gently brushed his bangs that were covering it. She then smiled at her husband before nodding her head.

"Ne, are you two coming?"

Natsume growled at Luna's direction. "What do you want to tell us anyway?"

The woman with strawberry blonde locks giggled in response to Natsume's question. She then turned away from them and started walking to her car's direction.

"Oh, you'll know… later," Luna said as she got on the driver's seat.

Natsume and Mikan got into the raven-head's car, too and decided to follow the _Luna bitch's_ car.

"You know, Natsume… I have a bad feeling about this," Mikan said as the stop turned red.

Natsume looked stiffly at her. "Believe me. I'm feeling the same, Polka."

* * *

The couple entered the restaurant hand in hand. Mikan frowned when she remembered the last time she was in here with Luna.

"_I need him. I love him… He was mine then and now, I want him back, Mikan."_

Those were Luna's words back then. Pfft. And now, whatever she tells them, she'd remember Natsume's words earlier. She would trust him.

"So… what do you want to tell me?" Mikan said as she put another sushi inside her mouth. She saw Natsume's hands clenching into a fist as he put his glass near his mouth.

She frowned. '_What's wrong with Natsume today?'_

Luna giggled once again (Mikan felt like gagging once again) before getting another spoonful of double dutch-flavored ice cream from her bowl.

"I'm one-month pregnant," she then said.

Natsume's knuckles almost turned white.

"Oh! That's wonderful! Congratu-" Mikan said before Luna cut her words.

"With Natsume-kun's child." Luna Koizumi then put the spoonful of ice cream inside her mouth and giggled in delight.

Mikan's mouth was wide open with shock. "What- _how_?"

"Remember that night when Natsume-kun disappeared? We spent the night together that time."

"Shut up, bitch. I don't even remember anything that happened that night."

"Now, now, Natsume-kun. Don't lie to your darling wife. You woke up next to me the morning after, right?"

"Natsume, is that true?" Mikan asked him, without even looking at him.

"Mikan," Natsume whispered her name.

"Is that true?"

"I… just let me explain."

Mikan suddenly stood up and bowed to Luna before exiting the room.

The strawberry blonde woman didn't even budge when Natsume glared at her.

"Look what you've fucking done now, bitch."

Luna grinned. "I did quite great… I think. How about you Natsume-kun? What do you think?"

"Fuck off, Koizumi," the raven-head said before he exited the room and followed his wife.

Mikan ran and ran. She got her phone and texted Hotaru. A minute later, her cellphone rang. She answered it and told Hotaru everything she found out today.

Her voice was shaking and tears were falling freely from her eyes.

But one thing shocked her. Hotaru and Natsume told her the same thing.

They told her to trust Natsume. To trust his husband. But how could she if she was hurting this much?

Because for the first time in her life, she felt her heart breaking.

For the first time in her life, Mikan Sakura Hyuuga didn't know what to do.

**End of chapter.**

* * *

**A/N: **EDITED. Subaru's scene made me squeal. Haha. XD


	12. The Great Hotaru-sama

Gakuen Alice? Disclaimed.

* * *

**A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be. ~Douglas Pagels**

* * *

**Chapter 12: The Great Hotaru-sama**

Hotaru frowned when she heard her cellphone rang. She got her purse and got it out to see who sent an idiotic message to her.

_**From: Mikan, the baka**_

_**Hotaru? Are you busy? I need to tell you something.**_

Both of her eyebrows rose when she saw who the sender was.

_Mikan,_ she thought. She was right. _The message was idiotic because the sender was an idiot_. She smirked.

"Hotaru?" her brother called her. They were still inside his office, busily talking about Natsume and her plans. "What's the matter?"

She shook her head and excused herself from the two doctors. "I'll just make a call," she said before going out of the room as her brother nodded in agreement to her.

Ignoring the stares of the nurses from the earlier scene, she picked up her phone and dialed Mikan's number.

"Baka," she said, as soon as she heard her best friend's voice from the other line. "I've already read your message."

Hotaru heard Mikan take a deep breath. She held her temple as she thought of the things to tell her best friend.

"You know, I've already know about the situation, Mikan."

'_Eh? What do you mean, Hotaru?'_

"Tss. I was the one who told Hyuuga about your problem. Apparently, that Koizumi's OB-Gyne is Yuu-senpai. And he is the one who told me about this matter just this morning."

'_Oh.'_

"I assume you already know about this, huh?"

Hotaru could imagine Mikan nodding her head. She snickered.

_Really. What an idiot._

"How did you know about this?"

'_Well… Koizumi-san went to school and she told me. Natsume looked like he already knows about that.'_

Hotaru snickered. "I'm the one who told him. Didn't I already tell you about that?"

There was a moment of complete silence on the other line and that made Hotaru realize that she had to go back inside his brother's office to continue discussing her plans with Subaru and Yuu.

"Baka?" she called her best friend. Mikan let out a sound, signalling her response to Hotaru. "I have to go. I still have some important things to attend to. Let's talk some other time. Remember what I told you. Jaa."

She then ended her call with Mikan and decided to go inside her brother's office. Her ears twitched when she heard the nurses from before… they were talking about someone. And this someone has something to do with his older brother.

"Did you see the way she asked us a while ago?" nurse number one asked nurse number two as she looked at her fingernails.

"Yeah. Just because she could make Dr. Imai smile doesn't mean she's different from us. _Pfft_. She just started working here last month, for- Argh! That newbie of a nurse…" nurse number two said as her eyes turned into dangerous slits.

"She's more like that younger Imai. She's so… full of herself. What a bitch," nurse number one said and nurse number nodded as an agreement.

Hotaru's amethyst eyes turned almost black because of annoyance. If her brother wouldn't fire these two, then… she'll put the honors in doing so.

"That half-Japanese freak… Know what? I'll strangle her if ever I see her again today."

Hotaru was planning to go and fire the two immediately when a woman, wearing a nurse's uniform, too, approached the two and snapped at the both of them.

"I may be half-Japanese, but I sure can still kick both of your butts!" nurse number three, aka the nurse who could make her not-so-stoic brother smile, said to the first two nurses. A few people looked at the three nurses, as if they were shooting a movie or something. Hotaru decided to approach them. She coughed loudly to get their attention.

The first two nurses looked at her before bowing her head. Hotaru then put a hand on nurse number three's shoulder before saying, "Hey, that's enough." She looked at the nurse's name plate before continuing. "Ingrid. Go back to your work. I'll handle this."

Ingrid, aka nurse number three and the nurse who could make her not-so-stoic brother smile, nodded before bowing her head and turning her back on her. Hotaru then faced the two trembling nurses behind the counter.

"You two," she said, her voice were venomous as ever, "are fired. After this day, don't ever, ever, ever let me see both of your faces again. Do you understand?"

She evilly smirked when the two nodded in response. She then walked to her brother's office and went inside.

"What took you so long, Hotaru?" her brother asked. She shook her head before taking her previous seat across her brother's office table.

"I just called the baka. Oh, and nii-san?"

Subaru Imai looked at her before carefully lifting his cup of coffee. His brother and senpai might have asked someone to make a cup for the both of them while she was outside. But, yeah. Moving on…

"I like nurse Ingrid. She's pretty… _tough_."

She and Yuu almost laughed when the older Imai almost spit his coffee out. "What?"

Hotaru snickered. She then faced Yuu and said, "I need some people to get some information on that Koizumi. Can you help me with that, senpai?"

A smile was still evident on Yuu's face when she asked that question. "No. I don't know some people who can help you with that. Sorry, Imai-san."

"I'll go find someone myself then."

"Wait," the OB-Gyne said, "do you mind whether they are young or old?"

The younger Imai shook her head. It didn't matter if those people were already centuries old! She just needs their help to find some information on Koizumi's… activities.

"Good. I think I know some people that could help us."

* * *

**Chan cha chan~! Presenting… Hotaru's partners in crime :)**

* * *

"Oi, Fie, wake up!" Jana felt a vein pop on her forehead when her younger sister just mumbled something in her sleep before shifting to a more comfortable position.

"Fie!" she shouted once again, this time near her younger sister's ear.

The younger Tobita put her pinky finger inside her ear and opened her eyes. She then glared at her older sister. "What's your problem? It's so early in the morning, nee-san."

Jana snickered and told her to look at the wall clock. "It's almost noon. Now, get up! Uncle Yuu wants to talk to us about something important."

Fie lazily scratched her head, crowned with raven hair (although her hair color was a bit lighter than her sister) and gently rubbed her golden orbs. She sluggishly stretched both her arms when she got up from her bed. She turned on her laptop before going inside her bathroom to brush her teeth.

Once done, she sat in front of her laptop and logged on her Facebook account.

Her eyes almost popped when she saw the number of her notifications. Her eyebrows twitched when she saw a familiar name on almost all of her notifications.

"Fiiiiiiiiie! I told you Uncle Yuu is waiting for us! Shut down your laptop computer, get dressed and get down already!" she heard her sister shouted, again, downstairs.

_How did she even know that I'm using my laptop? Pfft_, she thought as she logged out from Facebook.

"Okay, nee-san! And please, do shut up. My ears are almost bleeding, you know?" she shouted back. She heard her sister said something but she didn't quite understand it, that's why she just went inside the bathroom and took a bath.

"Where are we going anyway?" Fie asked her sister as she got inside her car. "And why am I not allowed to drive? I already got my license last year."

Jana looked at her pouting sister and smirked. "Why aren't you allowed to drive? Simple. I still want to live a full and happy life. I don't even know how you got your freakin' license anyway… And yeah. We're going to Uncle Yuu's place today. He said something about letting us meet a few people."

"Hey! I got my license square and fair. People? People like who?"

The older Tobita shrugged her shoulders as she looked at the traffic light. She stepped on the brake when the lights turned red. Jana then turned to her little sister before she gently touched her hair while looking at the rearview mirror.

"I don't know," she said at last before looking at the traffic lights once again. She stepped on the gas when she notice that the lights already turned green. No wonder she heard someone cursing behind their car. But… whatever.

Their parents were working out of the country because of their family business. And because Jana was already at an age where she could handle both her and her stupid, *cough* as for her *cough*, sister, their parents let them live with each other without a guardian. But occasionally, their uncle, Dr. Yuu Tobita would check up on them and would ask them how they were doing.

Jana noticed a few cars outside their uncle's home when they arrived, and the younger Tobita couldn't help but gawk at the sight.

A Jaguar, a BMW, a Volkswagen convertible and a Mercedes.

Well, technically, the Mercedes was owned by their uncle but… yeah, Fie couldn't help but still… you know?

"Who are these people exactly?" she heard her older sister asked. She nodded at her question and asked the same thing to herself.

After her seventeen years of existence, Fie realized, they finally had something to agree upon.

"Senpai, are you sure these two can help?" Hotaru asked as she looked at the two youngest persons in that living room.

They met each other a while ago.

_Hotaru Imai:_ works under the Hyuuga Corp., Hyuuga heir's cousin, and apparently, Ruka Nogi's current girlfriend

_Subaru Imai:_ a renowned doctor, Hyuuga heir's older cousin, Hotaru Imai's older brother

_Ruka Nogi_ (who was fidgeting at that moment): Hyuuga heir's best friend, Hotaru Imai's current boyfriend

_Natsume Hyuuga:_ Hyuuga Corp.'s executive president and the root of this problem, as Hotaru had said a while ago.

Fie and Jana looked at each other before smirking.

"Actually, what you're asking us to do is too easy for us," Jana said as she looked back to Hotaru. Hotaru Imai-sama… her great Hotaru-sama…

Jana was a fan of her inventions and was planning to be an inventor, too, someday. That's why she almost hyperventilated when she saw her _idol_ seated in front of her and… errr, holding hands with that Ruka Nogi.

Hotaru raised her eyebrow. "Really?" she asked, emotionlessly as ever.

Fie stood up and went beside her and Ruka. She then put both her hands on Ruka's cheek and smiled at him before pinching his cheeks… _hard_. She let go of his reddening cheeks as she looked at Hotaru, who was still emotionless as before.

"Yeah. Seriously," she answered. "We may not look like it but…"

"They are both professional hackers," their uncle finished for them, pride was evident in his voice.

Hotaru couldn't help but grin at both of the young Tobita in front of her.

"Excellent," was all she could say before smirking evilly.

"Tone down that smirk, Hotaru," her older brother told her. "You're scaring me already."

Hotaru turned to her older brother and smirked a little more.

"Hey," Ruka interjected, "you could've pinched that guy, too." He then pointed to his best friend who looked like he was lost in his thoughts, with his chin resting against his knuckles.

Fie shook her head. "He looks pretty respectable to me. I can't do that to him."

Ruka flushed. "And I don't look respectable? Dr. Tobita… you're nieces are getting into my nerves," he mumbled under his breath.

"Shut up, Ruka. They were quite right anyway," Hotaru said which earned laughter from almost everyone in the room. "So… let's talk business."

The laughter died out as the younger Imai told the two what they were going to do.

* * *

**After almost three days after that meeting…**

Mikan was fidgeting on her seat. During these past few days, she tried her very best to ignore her husband. It was not that she believed on what that Koizumi said but it's just that… she trusts Natsume so much. So much that she didn't know how to face him after she ran off the other day.

"Talk about being an idiot," she told herself as she shifted to a more comfortable position. She was now looking outside the window, ignoring the fact that Natsume Hyuuga, also known as her husband, was sitting beside her, driving busily.

Oh yeah.

Natsume ended up on driving her to school today. And of course… it was his mother's fault. Not that he didn't want to take her to school today. It was just that, he noticed that the brunette was somehow trying to ignore him.

"You were saying?" he asked her, without even taking his eyes away from the road.

Those were the first words she heard him say after three days.

And somehow, her heart ached for more.

"Na-Natsume…"

* * *

"You won't believe this, nee-san," Fie said as she closed another window on her laptop.

"What?"

The older Tobita sat beside her younger sister.

"Koizumi's old Twitter account is too easy to hack. Her Facebook, too. Extracting public information about her is _soooooo_ freakin' easy. Where's the challenge that I'm looking _foooooor_?"

Jana smirked at Fie.

"I know right? I've got some of her company's documents too. Although I don't think they would be some help to us."

Fie nodded her head in agreement. "But, nee-san… both her Twitter and Facebook account are associated with one person."

Jana knotted her forehead before asking her sister. "Person? What person?"

The younger Tobita looked at her sister like she'd grown an extra head. "The question is who, idiot, not what. So anyways…"

Fie didn't get the chance to continue what she was about to say. She roared with laughter as her sister looked at her like she'd gone crazy. Ugh… that was redundant. But… yeah.

Fie gently wiped away the tears on her eyes before saying, "Sorry, nee-san, but this post in Facebook is too damn random and too damn funny to ignore."

"Fie, focus. We can't disappoint Hotaru-sama here," Jana told her sister as she roared with laughter once again. "So you were saying?"

The younger raven-haired female breathed in and out calming herself.

"That Koizumi woman was involved with someone before… two or three months ago, I guess."

"Who's this someone?"

"Reo Mouri."

"Ha?"

"You know… Reo Mouri. Hot-shot engineer turned pop star?"

Jana shook her head. "Ah… who again?"

Fie sighed. "Reo Mouri. Seriously. You don't know him?"

Once again, Jana shook her head. Fie stood up and poorly imitated the pop star while singing some lyrics from a song the pop star sang when he was still starting on the industry.

"Ah! That Reo Mouri. Ohh."

Fie sighed and sat in front of her laptop once again.

"Finally. You got it. _Pfft_."

**End of chapter.**

* * *

**A/N: **EDITED… well, I did my best, but I guess my best wasn't good enough. Err. Yeah. Thanks for the favorites, alerts and the reviews. XD


	13. The Devil's Plans: Exposed

Disclaimer: No. _Never._

* * *

_**Tell a lie once, and all your truths will become questionable.**_

* * *

**CHAPTER 13: The Devil's Plans: Exposed**

It was never his plan to fall for her, but he did.

_Hard._

He just woke up one day, smiling at the sight of his wife, lying beside him on their bed. He gently touched her cheeks, her nose… her lips. He then suddenly thought… if this was the sight he would wake up to every morning, he'd never regret opening his eyes even if the sun hadn't risen yet.

It has been days, three to be exact, since the last time they talked to each other. He could feel it. She was still _mad_ at him… or he didn't know. Either way, she was still ignoring him.

He sat there, on the front seat of his car, with Mikan seated on his side. She was fidgeting and muttering something under her breath.

Natsume frowned when he heard her saying the word idiot. Without even looking at her, he nervously asked if she was saying something.

Mikan stuttered when she said his name. "Na-Natsume…"

_Ah. Music in his ears._

It has been three days since she last talked to him, since she last said his name. He felt tingles in his spine as he heard his name being said by her, and he couldn't help but look at her even for a second.

She looked beautiful. Her hair was tied in a messy bun, her cheeks were flushed and she was biting her lower lip. Natsume gulped and concentrated back on his driving.

"I'm sorry," he said. His breathing has stopped and he didn't know why. Maybe because… he didn't want her to say that she couldn't forgive him of what he had (or hadn't) done. "I couldn't remember what happened. I didn't know how she got into our room. I…"

He heard her giggle and he looked at her once again. A hand was covering her mouth, and her eyes were shining as she giggled.

Natsume's forehead creased. The brunette coughed and composed herself before looking straight to his eyes.

"If that's what you say, Natsume. I believe you," she said before smiling at him. And he couldn't help but smile back at her, too.

* * *

She was now cornered.

Luna Koizumi tried to compose herself as Hotaru glared at her. For once, she was glad that she was seated across her, with a table between them. She couldn't help but feel like the raven-head wanted to bitch slap her face a million times, to rip out all her strawberry blonde locks from her pretty little head.

She looked at the folder the smirking Fie placed in front of her. Luna looked at the younger Tobita, her elegant eyebrow raised. "What's this?"

"Why don't you just look at it so that you can find out yourself?" the annoyed Jana asked while looking at her newly manicured hands, black skulls drawn on a pink nail polish background on each nails.

Luna Koizumi was beyond mortified when she was through scanning through the pages that was inside the brown folder. It contained some information about her, about her, uh… activities this past few months. Her tweets, all her Facebook statuses, her _relationship status _two months ago. They were their inside that folder. They were as if shouting at her, making her realize that was she was doing right now was wrong.

She gulped. She didn't know what else to say.

But her being herself, she didn't eve admit the things the younger Imai said about her… but she didn't deny them either.

"Cat got your tongue now, Koizumi?" asked the smirking Hotaru, before she drank from her glass of iced tea.

The strawberry-blonde woman shut her eyes close and thought of the next thing to say. But unfortunately, she couldn't think of anything. She was sure that Hotaru was waiting for her apology, but her pride couldn't take that.

She then got her teaspoon and played with her ice cream. This time, she was eating a chocolate-flavored one, with tiny milk chocolate sprinkles on top.

Jana sighed because of irritation. "Are we just going to stare at each other the whole day? My time is precious, you know."

The black-haired woman silently agreed. She still has a date with Ruka this afternoon…

Hotaru then coughed and looked at her, her eyes dripping with cold look only she could possess. Luna averted her gaze from her, after feeling a shiver down her spine. She wouldn't want to admit that she kind of scared at the woman seated in front of her.

"You know I'm waiting for your apology, right?"

Luna clicked her tongue because of annoyance. She knew that, she definitely did. She knew Hotaru so well after all. Maybe, she would try to tell them, to make them somehow understand the things she did, even if she herself couldn't understand her decisions and her actions.

Jana and Fie… they were almost gaping at the woman in front of her, who was nearly in tears.

"So Reo was the father of that child?" Fie shouted, earning some looks from people seating near their table. Hotaru just shook her head. Her migraine… it was getting worse as seconds passed by.

Thankfully, the older Tobita covered her sister's mouth with her hands after seeing Hotaru's uh… discomfort.

"Mmfffp! Mmff!"

The younger Tobita ended up biting her sister's hand. Jana's face grimaced, as she prevented herself from shouting from the pain she was experiencing.

"If that's the case then, why tell people around you that that blockhead is the child's father?"

Luna Koizumi couldn't look straight into Hotaru's amethyst eyes. She gently bit her lower lip and slightly got a taste of her apple-flavored lip gloss.

"He-he… said he loves me. But then… but when I told him that I'm pregnant… he just ignored me. He broke up with me _without me knowing_!" she shouted, before tears began falling from her eyes. "He just… just disappeared."

The inventor sighed, as the woman in front of her continued crying. She'd put a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth after every three words.

"He just left **–puts a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth-** just like that **–another one-**. He didn't even **–another one-** talk to me **–another one-**. That's why I **–another one-** have to tell things**–another one-** like that to Natsume-kun **–and another one-**."

She stopped talking and frowned when she noticed the empty bowl in front of her.

_Aw. No more ice cream._

Luna Koizumi then called a waiter and ordered for a new batch. She ordered a new flavor this time.

The waiter put her order on the table and she happily got the spoon and tasted the ice cream. The three raven-heads grimaced as they looked at Luna who seemed to be enjoying eating the ice cream she just ordered.

"What?" the woman asked, eying the three curiously. "This tastes good. I recommend it," she continued, as she put another spoonful of ice cream inside her mouth.

Hotaru just shook her head.

She would never ever try eating that.

_Wasabi-flavored ice cream._

* * *

Sumire was irritated. The pizza guy slash professional car-racer slash CEO of a multi-million company was here again. And he was looking for her boss.

And being Sumire with her sharp tongue, she told him off but he just laughed. He even said he would wait for her boss.

Koko secretly smiled as he looked at her frowning face. He was now wearing a business suit which made him feel itchy… _like hell._

He was supposed to talk to Hotaru about something but she already called a while ago, cancelling their meeting. But then, here he was, as amused as he could be while staring at her.

Kokoro Yome crossed his legs yet again. He was now sitting on a chair which was a few steps from her table. Ten minutes had already passed, with only him watching her doing her work.

He didn't know but he found her amusing. There was something in the way she talked to him… in the way she moved around him and the way she rolled her eyes at him.

He stood up, went near her and suddenly blurted out, "Let's go out on a date."

It wasn't a question. And that annoyed her.

Sure he looked nice, he even smelled nice… but hey. He couldn't just order her around, could he?

But then, to her horror (or not), she found herself agreeing to him, nodding her head to his invitation.

She was gaping at him when she heard Koko said, "See you at Sunday then. Seven o'clock sharp. Don't worry, I'll pick you up," before he turned away.

"I thought you're waiting for Imai-sama?"

Koko turned around, a goofy and boyish smile was plastered on his face.

"Imai already called and told me to move our meeting tomorrow. I only stayed for a while so that I could ask you out, you know."

With a mock salute and a wink at her, he walked away, whistling with every step he took.

Sumire was left there, her whole face was red and a telephone was busily ringing on top of her table.

**End of chapter.**

* * *

**A/N: **What is this? Hahaha. XD Pfft. EDITED. Well, I tried -.-


	14. A Star On His Knees

Gakuen Alice will never be mine.

* * *

_**Love is putting up with someone's bad qualities, because they somehow complete you. -Unknown**_

* * *

**Chapter 14: A Star On His Knees**

He was contented with his current job, being an engineer in a big construction company, and having a simple life. He was contented… well, he thought he was.

Reo Mouri sighed as he took another sip from his liquor once again. Her words were echoing inside his head over and over again… _I'm pregnant, Reo!_

He was supposed to leave for his concert tour around Asia a few days from now. And it has been over a month since he last talked to her…

_Luna._

He must admit, he was not that attracted to her when they first met. She was a brat, she complained about almost everything and she always thought of herself before others. But despite all that, he saw through her. He saw the _real_ her.

She was a brat, yes, but she never easily gave up on something. Especially if she wanted that thing so badly for herself. Her perseverance was astonishing, she put him into shame. And yes, she complained about almost everything, but that was just her being honest. That was just her, being tactless. That was just her, stating her so-called opinions about things and the way they should have happened according to her.

She always thought of herself first because that was the way she was. She was a lone child and a spoiled one. She grew up that way.

And as the days passed since the first time seeing her, Reo couldn't help but fall in love with the woman…

But those words that she had told him made him panic. It wasn't supposed to be that way. Having a child with someone wasn't included in his To-Do list as of now. And most of all, those words that had uttered could easily ruin him.

He was a famous celebrity, having been discovered when he sang once in a bar when his friend, Akira Tonoichi, requested him to. It was his friend's birthday, and he simply couldn't say no to him.

He went up to the stage, not knowing what was in store for him. Not knowing that a few weeks after that, his face (and voice) would be known all over Japan for being a famous celebrity.

At first, he didn't like it. He didn't like it when his privacy was invaded. He didn't like it when wherever he went, fans would swarm over him, asking for autographs. He didn't like it every time he saw a familiar woman, whom he had met a few nights ago, at the party, drunk and muttering something under her breath as she swayed in front of him while trying to walk straight. But well, obviously, she failed in doing so. He helped her, put an arm around her shoulders and tried to straighten her posture. A few minutes later, she emptied her stomach on his crisp suit.

He didn't like it. He didn't like that she, Luna Koizumi, could easily annoy the hell out of him. No one could do that so easily but her. And so, he decided, he would never let that woman get into her… but then, he failed.

So, after a few more meetings, she proved him, that meeting her was the most unwanted moment that he welcomed the most.

* * *

Feeling his phone vibrate inside his pocket woke him up. He didn't even notice that he had fallen asleep. The redhead looked at his phone and shook his head. Figures. The only person who had the nerve to call him in the middle of the night was his manager.

"Hayate, what's wrong?" he asked, as he massaged his temples with his hand. _Ugh, hangover._ Remind him not to touch any liquor again if ever he survived the following day with this annoying headache that he was having.

A few minutes later, he ended the call. Hayate Matsudaira, his manager, only called just to remind him of his schedule for the rest of the day.

He had a busy day. He went to SRB Studios for a guesting in a famous TV show. Misaki Harada, the show host, welcomed him warmly and briefed him of the questions to be asked during the show.

_Do you currently have a girlfriend? What is your type when it comes to picking a woman to be your girlfriend? What are your inspirations when you're writing your songs? Any message for your loyal fans?_

His cheeks hurt because of smiling too much. And then at last, he and the pink-haired lady shook hands at the end of the show.

After that, he went to Central Town Records for the recording of a new song he has written for his next upcoming album.

_Do you expect me to be the same?  
Tell me, do you want me to feel the pain?  
The words you've said have hurt,  
Tell me, how can I love you so freely._

_I never told you how much I care,  
Never told you how much you mean to me,  
All I know is we were perfect for each other,  
that's why I'm here, a star on his knees…_

After recording, they went back to his agency. He and his manager were to talk to some people regarding this movie project offer for him. And if ever he agrees on this offer, this movie would be his one-way ticket to the world of acting.

His manager also reminded him of his concert tour before he went home.

So there. To make the long story short, Reo Mouri just had a long day. And to relax his mind, he got a pair of dark sunglasses, a fedora hat and a thick scarf to cover half of his face with. He stayed in front of the mirror in about a few minutes, fixing his disguise before nodding to himself when he was satisfied with it.

He decided to take a walk on a crowded street. He could barely do this every now and then because of his popularity. He walked on the sidewalk slowly, as if enjoying the moment. He would stop at nearly every shop and look at the things displayed by the glass window.

He walked past by a restaurant… and that was when he saw her. And everything he planned seemed to crumble down in front of him.

One look at her and he knew what he _truly_ wanted.

* * *

Sumire didn't even know what entered her mind the day she agreed to go out with him. He asked her out (again, for the second time), and surprisingly, she found herself enthusiastically nodding at his direction.

The permed-hair woman felt the sudden spread of warmth on both her cheeks as she remembered him.

_He winked at her and did a mock salute after saying, "That's a yes, right? I'll just pick you up tomorrow night. And I'll call you," Koko turned and motioned to walk away from her, when she suddenly remembered… "Hey, you don't have my number!"_

_He turned again, this time, to face her. "Yes, I do. I got your number from Imai. I paid a _lot_ for it…"_

_He whispered the last sentence, making Sumire narrow both her eyes at him. _

"_You don't know where I live either," she said, shaking her head._

"_Imai told me," he answered as he goofily smiled at her. Once again, he mocked a salute at her as he said his goodbye. "See you later, girlfriend."_

_The green-haired woman nodded at him and got back to her work. It was then that she realized… "Girlfriend?" she almost shrieked. She then heard a soft beep coming from her handheld device. Her widened as she opened the unread message… "The moment you agreed to have a date with me, you also agreed to be my girlfriend."_

"He is _so_ not my boyfriend! And it's not a date. I only agreed so that he would stop pestering me. Yeah, that's it," she said as a sigh escaped from her lips. Sumire then put both her hands on her still warm cheeks. "But why the hell am I blushing?"

Koko's goofy smile started to appear inside her mind once again. Slapping both her hands on her cheeks, she blinked her eyes and prevented herself from screaming.

_I don't like him… right?_

* * *

The crimson-eyed man massaged both of his temples as soon as his back had touched the leather seat of his car. He was so tired, having been going around Tokyo for certain business meetings. He then closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

It was when his wife's smiling face appeared on his mind that he decided to drive home. Natsume then remembered Koko's exact words to him a few weeks ago. Only now that he was able to understand his friend's words.

He chuckled.

_You got it bad, man._

Oh well. Maybe he did.

* * *

He arrived at their home after a thirty minute drive.

"I'm home," he whispered to himself as he entered the house.

A maid in uniform approached him to get his briefcase from him. Natsume then asked her about Mikan.

"Mikan-sama? She was in the kitchen the whole time she was waiting for you, sir. 'Cooked some dinner for you, you see."

"Has she eaten yet?"

The maid shook her head gently. "No, I think not. She said something about waiting for you, sir." And with that the maid bowed her head, and quickly left.

The raven-head frowned. She waited for her? He felt something in his stomach stirred. Was it the so-called _butterflies in the stomach thing-y _when you're in love? Ugh. He didn't know.

Shaking his head, he walked and went into their room when he noticed the brunette who was sleeping on the sofa hugging a throw pillow inside her arms.

He smiled at the sight.

His father used to go home very late and his mother would wait for him like this.

He walked near her, caressing her soft cheek after kneeling beside her. He then pulled his hand back when she opened her eyes.

Smiling at him, she whispered his name, "Natsume…"

Feeling the sudden rush of blood to his cheeks, he thought, Koko was right. He really had it bad.

* * *

**A/N:** So how was it? It has been a year. HAHAHA. Well, this chapter is the product of procrastination, writer's block aaaand was it depression? I SUCK OTL

-EDITED: Thanks for the help, _KidTantei_. Don't worry about offending me or anything, Trippie. Because you review really helped BDD and uhhhh, I basically just copy-pasted everything that you had put in your review. HAHAHAHA. Sorry, I was just lazy. HAHAHA BDD


	15. Villains and Happy Endings

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Warning: **Grammar errors, typos, language -_-

* * *

_**You are someone's reason to smile.**_

* * *

**Chapter 15: Villains and Happy Endings**

_Hyuuga Corp., 2 o'clock in the afternoon_

Fukutan trembled as he tried to compose himself. He would enter the 'lion's den', as most of his co-workers called Natsume Hyuuga's office, once again. He took deep breaths to calm himself and knocked on the door. He felt himself shake with fear as he heard his boss say that he could enter the den... _errr_, office.

The pony-tailed man gulped when he saw his raven-haired boss seated on his swivel chair with his forehead knotted in concentration as he read some of the papers on top of his table. Fukutan swore that he could almost feel himself wet his pants as the Hyuuga lifted his face and looked at him, with a small grin on his face.

Wait a minute... a _grin_?

"So, Fukutan-san, what brings you here?"

"Uh― I― _uhhh_..."

The grin on the raven-head's face instantly vanished. "We won't finish here until you've come up with coherent words to say."

"Uh, yes, sir. Right away sir," Fukutan immediately said as he fumbled through the papers inside the folder he was holding. "A client just called and he wanted to have a meeting with you, sir, regarding the contract the two of you agreed upon. It seems that Mr. Mochu has some questions regarding the contract and has requested to have a meeting with you, sir. As soon as possible, if I might add."

"Call Mochu's secretary and ask her if his boss is free tomorrow lunch. If he is, schedule a lunch meeting with him."

The man took a small notebook from his back pocket and took some notes.

Frowning, Natsume looked at the man once again, who was standing a few feet away from his desk and ask, "Where is my secretary, by the way? Why are you doing her job?"

Fukutan did his best not to cower in fear. "Imai-sama asked her assistance on some things that are needed to be done. Matsuhara-san then asked me to be your temporary secretary today because she figured that you'd rather have me as secretary than Shouda-san."

The raven-head grunted in approval. "Damn right, I do."

He then continued reading some of the documents that needed his signature when he noticed that Fukutan has yet to leave his office.

"Is there anything else you need to tell me?"

The pony-tailed man adjusted his glasses before frantically shaking his head. "Uh, no, sir. That's all."

"Okay then, you can leave now."

Bowing his head, he turned to open the door when he heard his boss say something to him.

_Oh, and thank you, Fukutan-san._

Did his stoic, human-eating boss just thank him? Not that Natsume Hyuuga eats humans or something, but... _but_! He never thanked him before. Or any of his employees for that matter. And that grin a while ago.

Fukutan thought he was dreaming.

* * *

Nothing had gone right for the raven-head that day.

He woke up at eight thirty in the morning and was late for work. But then he thought, _I'm the boss anyway. I'll just go to work at nine thirty max._

Then, there was this little accident when he went to a coffee shop to buy himself a cup of coffee (black, no sugar) to keep him awake for the entire day. A woman spilled her drink on his crisp suit (he didn't know if it was intentional or not, you know, to get his attention), and he had forgotten to bring an extra polo and a suit with him. Natsume had to go home again to get a fresh, new one if he didn't want to smell like coffee all day at work. Besides, coffee stains were hard to remove.

After changing into a new suit (he still smelled like coffee a bit though), he rode his car again and drove to his office. But there was an accident two blocks away from Hyuuga Corp. and the road was blocked.

Sighing, Natsume put his earphones on and listened to some music. He then picked a song and listened to it (Mikan had sent some mp3s to his phone, saying that he should listen to them if he had some free time). His forehead knotted. He couldn't even understand a thing... but the song was kind of... catchy. The raven-head then looked at his phone and searched for the title of the said song... Sexy, Free and Single by Super Junior.

_They're a Korean male group. Almost all of the high school students at school like them_, he remembered his wife telling him last night.

Natsume smiled. _Last night..._

It was almost half an hour when the road was cleared and his car was able to move again. He reached his office around then fifteen and documents to be signed and looked over were piling on his desk.

To make it simple, Natsume was indeed unlucky today. But despite all that has happened, the raven-head couldn't help but smile.

_What a good day_, he thought as he walked into his office, whistling as he passed some of the employees, who looked like their boss grew another head. But who could blame them, really? They hadn't seen their boss act so... carefree like this before. So _happy_.

The Hyuuga, who was currently unaware of the attention he was getting, entered his office and settled down on his swivel chair to begin his work. He cracked his knuckles before getting his pen as he started his work, a smile still etched on his face as he remembered last night. With his wife.

Oh yes. The two of them finally made love after almost four months of marriage, the same reason why he couldn't remove the smile on his face.

And because of this, nothing or no one could ruin his day.

The raven-head heard his phone ring as it broke his train of thoughts. He picked it up and answered the call without looking who the caller was.

"Natsume-kun," the woman at the other line said, her voice silky and honeyed even on the phone.

"Koizumi," Natsume answered, his teeth gritted as he said her name.

"Let's have lunch today. I feel so stressed out lately and your cousin has been―"

"No," the raven-head said coldly as he ended the call.

Hell yes. No one could ruin this day for him. Not even Luna _fucking_ Koizumi.

* * *

Luna Koizumi was occupying a table at one corner of a cafe located at an establishment just in front of the condominium unit she owned. She got a lock of her strawberry blonde hair between her fingers and twirled it as she got her phone inside her bag. She punched some numbers in and waited for Natsume to pick his phone up.

The pregnant woman smiled sweetly when he did. "Natsume-kun," she purred, "Let's have lunch today. I feel so stressed out lately and your cousin has been―"

She didn't even get to finish her sentence when he told her a flat out no and quickly ended the call.

Luna felt her eyebrows twitch in annoyance. There never existed a man, except obviously for Natsume Hyuuga, who could resist her charms!

_Unbelievable. Simply frustrating. So... annoying._

She was so busy poking (stabbing rather) the poor blueberry cheesecake in front of her that she didn't notice a figure seating directly in front of her. And when she did, she didn't even bother to look at the person and said, "That seat is taken," as she continued her blueberry cheesecake massacre.

"I don't see any names," the person replied curtly.

Luna stabbed the poor cheesecake dead on its center. The silverware stood there at the center, _unmoving_ as the woman glared at the person in front of her. It irked her more when the said person chuckled at her.

"I said, that seat is already taken."

"I said," the person mimicked her, as if to increase her annoyance, "I don't see any names."

Her eyes narrowed when she recognized that voice. _His_ voice. "So what brings you here, Reo Mouri?" she said, the sweetness of her voice suddenly gone as she hissed his named out of her mouth.

Reo Mouri, who was wearing a fedaro hat on his head and a scarf covering almost half of his face, stared at the woman in front of him. What she was doing a while ago, when she was killing her supposed to be food, amused the hell out of him.

The redhead cleared his throat. "I heard you talking on your phone a minute ago. Natsume? As in Natsume Hyuuga?"

"Yes." Luna crossed her arms across her chest as she raised an elegant brow at him. "We're having a lunch date later," she added.

This time, Reo couldn't suppress his laugh. His laughter boomed across the place, startling people who were occupying the tables near them.

"What?"

"According to your reaction earlier, it seems to me that he has turned you down."

"No, he didn't. He's just busy," the woman retorted.

Reo repeatedly clicked his tongue as he gently shook his head. "Luna, Luna, Luna. You know your lies won't work at me. And besides, I know that Natsume Hyuuga of the Hyuuga Corp. is already married. Well, who wouldn't know about that, right? I was even invited to their wedding," the redhead said, his index finger gently tapping his chin. His eyes then widened dramatically as he continued, "unless, you're trying to steal him from his wife."

The pregnant woman smirked at him. "So what if I am?"

The redhead theatrically gasped, as he put a hand over his mouth. He then laughed afterwards. "That's just so you," he said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"That means you always want to get what you want." He frowned. "Uh, do you get what I mean?"

Luna let out a very unladylike snort. "Somewhat."

An awkward silence fell over the both of them. Luna Koizumi mentally decided that she would just return to her apartment and sleep instead, instead of staying here with this man in front of her. She was just about to stand up when she heard the sound from the speakers.

"Tall caramel macchiato for customer 'Luna Koizumi, will you marry me'. Tall mocha frappe for-" the woman who was announcing it, stopped and blushed as she realized what she what just said. Clearing her throat, she tried announcing it once again. "Tall caramel macchiato for customer 'Luna Koizumi, will you marry me'."

The people inside that cafe cheered, as Reo looked at the woman seated in front of him. Her face was devoid of emotion, but her eyes said one thing: she was confused of what was happening.

Reo stood up, earning louder cheers from the people around him. He slowly approached the counter and took his order.

"And to whoever that Luna person is, please say yes! He's so sweet!" the woman on the speaker said.

Smiling at her, the redhead put the tray on top of their table and said, "You heard what she said." Digging into his pockets, he then got a small velvet box as he kneeled in front of her. He even took the scarf off his face.

All of the people inside the cafe gasped, in exception of Luna. A few flashes of cameras were seen just outside the cafe.

_Paparazzi?_, she thought. _Who the hell―_ she then looked at the man who was the source of all evil that has happened to her these past months. "Did you call them?" she asked.

Reo sharply shook his head. "No," he asked her, lifting the box a little higher as he opened it. "So?"

A diamond ring winked at Luna's direction as soon as that box was opened. But she was still confused.

_What? Why? Why now, Reo?_

Luna closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wishing that she could find her voice to answer. But instead, she asked him, "How did you know I'm here?"

"Oh, that? A certain Hotaru Imai told me this morning. She even thought of this proposal."

Luna Koizumi did the only thing that she could do. She slapped the man across the face and ran off.

The redhead was astounded as he felt the stinging pain on his left cheek.

What the hell did just happen?

He then saw a few flashes of cameras aimed at his direction. Ugh. He could imagine the headlines on the tabloids tomorrow.

_Reo Mouri's wedding proposal, rejected._

* * *

Luna Koizumi dashed to her condo unit, forgetting that doing so could endanger the life that was currently residing in her womb. She gently rubbed her stomach, which was slowly beginning to show.

Her heart was still hammering inside her chest, as she thought of what just happened back at the cafe a while ago.

Did he really―

She suddenly heard her phone ringing. Fuck, it was all true. Reo Mouri just proposed to her! And he was calling her phone now.

Clearing her throat, she answered the call. "What now?" she asked him sharply.

"Listen, I―"

"Why, Reo?"

"I― uh, Luna... I―"

"Just forget it."

"No, no!" he heard him shout desperately on the other line. "Wait, don't hang up, please."

_Silence._

"I just want you to know that I― I love you. I was a coward, I know. But I really love you, Luna. I really do. I can't live without you in my life. In the past months that you've been gone by my side, I tried, but as you can see, I failed miserably. I just want you back. I want both of you back."

"Both of us?" she asked, her voice trembling a little.

"Yes. You and our child."

The woman felt a warm hand just touched her heart. "Really?"

She heard Reo sigh on the other line. "Yes, really. I was just shocked, well who was I kidding, I got scared after you told me. I mean, my career, all the things that I've put all of my efforts into will be gone just like that. But now, I realized that losing all those things... fame, and everything that came with it is better than losing both of you."

The woman let out the sob that she had been suppressing.

A startled Reo was then shouting on the other line, "Luna! Are you crying? _Fuck_! Did I make you cry?"

"Well, yeah. I'm crying but―"

She didn't even finish her sentence. The call just ended. She tried calling Reo's number a few times, but he wouldn't pick it up.

Tears were still flowing from her eyes when she heard the doorbell.

At times like this, who could this be?, she asked herself mentally.

She was shocked when she found a panting Reo outside her door.

"Don't cry, ―_pant_― Luna."

Wiping the tears on her cheeks, she tackled him into the ground and showered butterfly kisses on his face.

"Wait. Does this mean you're saying yes?" he asked, still a little around of breath because of running from the cafe just across the street and also from using the stairs instead of the elevator to go up her floor.

Well, what could he do? The elevators were too slow for his liking...

Luna cupped his cheeks and smiled at him. "Yes."

The redhead felt his cheeks hurt from smiling too much. _Ack_, those paparazzi left a while ago.

The headlines tomorrow...

A kiss landed on top of his lips. And Reo Mouri couldn't care less of what the headlines tomorrow be.

* * *

"Hotaruuu! Your plan failed," Ruka said, as he waved a tabloid in front of the raven-head's face.

Annoyed, the stoic woman slapped the newspaper away from her. "News flash, Ruka. The proposal was your plan. I only told the popstar about that woman's location. And besides, your plan sucks anyways. I already have a feeling that it would fail so no surprise there."

"And here I am, thinking of using that plan to propose to you," the blonde sighed as he mumbled under his breath.

Hotaru's ears twitched. What did he say? "Pardon?"

Startled, Ruka looked back at her and blinked his cerulean-colored eyes. "What?"

"You said something, Ruka."

The blonde gulped. "No, I didn't."

"You did. I heard it."

"Why ask if you already know what I said?" he snapped and when he realized that he did, he looked at the woman in front of him, who was glaring daggers at him. "I, uhhh, sorry?"

The raven-head was supposed to say something when Ruka heard his alarm. Oops. He almost forgot about this very important meeting that he has to attend this afternoon.

"Hotaru, I need to go. Meeting. Put the bill on my tab. I'll see you later," he said, as he stood up while kissing her cheek goodbye.

Hotaru watched as the blonde man walked out of the restaurant. Feeling her eyebrow twitch, she said under her breath, "This conversation is not finished yet, Ruka."

She suddenly felt hungry and decided to take another order of what she had ordered a while ago.

_What the hell, Ruka said he's paying_, she thought and ordered another food for takeout.

_You better not propose to me that way, idiot._

* * *

**A/N: **Well, what can I say? Even villains deserve their own happy endings… right? =))) And about the SuJu part... hahaha! I was listening to their songs while writing this so... ehehehehe? :333

About Reo's proposal... hahaha. My friends and I went to Starbucks once to drink coffee (because we needed to stay up all night studying for a biochem evals two days after, but I think I still went to sleep early that night lololol XD) and there was this customer, who apparently gave _Free_ as his name to cashier guy there OTL So all of you could just imagine our reactions when the guy at the counter said, "Cinnamon roll and Java chip frappucino for _Free_." AND YEAH HAHA. I figured I can use this as, you know... okay I'm finished ranting now -.-

So yeah. I know that I've taken too long to write this chapter, and I'm sorry about that. It's just that so many things had happened to me in the past year and yeah OTL

I just want to thank all those reviewers who keep on reviewing even though I don't update that much (_cookies, ice cream and cakes for those who reviewed! Thank you again :DD_) OTL and those people who've put this story into their favorite and alert list. And those people who have added me into their favorite authors list. Thank you so much! =)))

_The end of this fanfic is near... I think XD_


	16. How the Pieces Fit

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**Warnings: **OOCness, typos and grammar errors, limey (somewhat) scenes mwahahahaha

* * *

_**Sometimes the person you really need is the one you didn't think you wanted. ― Unknown**_

* * *

**Chapter 16: How the Pieces Fit **

Sumire grew accustomed to the fact that Kokoro Yome, the pizza guy slash car racer slash CEO of a company slash her boss' friend, would appear out of nowhere and ask her out on a date.

And time and time again, she would agree, convincing herself she only agreed because she knew that he would eventually get tired of dating her and would stop pestering her when that time comes.

But in actuality, deep inside her mind, she was wishing that that day would never come.

* * *

It had almost been six days since the last time he last showed up. It had almost been six days since their last date, and she hadn't heard from Koko since then.

Sumire had started to get worried. It was so unlike him not to send her an e-mail or even an SMS (which she never replied to) or voicemails (she never called him back), and he hadn't even contacted her yet.

Could this be the day that she had dreaded to come? Did the good-looking pizza guy really (finally) grow tired of her? The permed-haired woman deeply sighed. She hoped not.

* * *

It had been an hours and a half since Sumire had went to bed, but she was still wide awake. For some reasons unknown to her (better yet, reasons she refused to acknowledge), she couldn't get even a wink of sleep.

"Ugh, why is this happening to me?" she said, screaming at her pillow.

A few seconds later, she heard her message alert tone. Sumire was too lazy to get up and get her phone, but the message could have been from her boss, and God knows how violent Hotaru could be when her messages went unanswered or ignored.

Puffing her cheeks, she stood up and got her handheld device on the top of her table, and immediately looked at her inbox. Her eyebrows twitched in annoyance the moment she saw who the sender was.

It was her brother, who had reminded her to buy him a pair of boxers as a gift on his upcoming birthday...

Sumire was about to switch her phone off when the message alert tine sounded off again. Annoyed, she pressed the 'read' button without looking who the sender was, believing it was still her idiot of a brother.

"No, you buy your own pair of boxers you―"

She didn't finish her sentence.

It was Kokoro Yome who sent her the last message.

* * *

Bruise-like shadows could be seen under her eyes, although Sumire had sworn that she had put enough makeup to cover them up.

Kokoro Yome's SMS had kept her awake for the whole night, and she only managed to get some sleep when it was almost five o'clock in the morning. (Meaning, she only had two hours' worth of sleep, since she always woke up at seven).

She looked at her phone once again, reading the message that kept her awake the previous night.

_I'm so sorry for not contacting you, Sumire. I've been busy these past few days._

Sumire. Sumire. Sumire. It was the first time that he had called her by her name. It was always _you_ or _girlfriend_.

The permed-haired woman almost banged her head on her table because of frustration.

* * *

Hotaru was annoyed. Her secretary had been acting so weird lately (she was already weird, but she had been extra weird these past few days that it was beginning to bother her) and it was kind of affecting her work. Well, kind of.

Sumire would space off, whenever she would talk to her and she would decline whenever Hotaru would invite her for lunch or dinner. Which was kind of unusual, even for Permy.

Shaking her head, Hotaru dialled a familiar number on her phone and said, even before the person on the other line could answer, "Yome, what have you done to my secretary?"

"What? What did I do?"

Hotaru massaged both her temples. "I don't know. You tell me, Yome."

Koko was silent for a few moments. "I didn't do anything... I think."

"You think?"

"Uh, yeah...? Aside from the fact that I've been out of the country for these past few days and I've been busy because of business... well yeah. I'm sure I did nothing to annoy her. And I think she's enjoying the the time that I'm not back there at Japan."

"Wait what? You're out of town?"

"Yep. I'm currently at London doing business here."

"And I'm calling you."

Koko snickered. "And here I thought you're the genius between the two of us, Imai."

"Do you know how much it costs for an international call, you idiot?" she said, before ending the call.

_Gaaah_. Sometimes, the people around her were just so plain annoying.

Her phone rang, and she checked who the caller was. Seeing that it was her boyfriend, Hotaru decided to ignore the call. She had been irritated at Ruka because of his futile (cough_corny_cough) attempts on proposing to her.

Hotaru sighed when the ringing didn't stop.

Fine. She would try not to get annoyed at him when he tries to propose to her for the next time.

She then called for her secretary to ask her to take notes on some documents she had just received the previous day.

Hotaru could only frown when she noticed the dazed look Sumire had on her face. Getting her phone inside her pocket, she sent Koko a message.

_You better do something about Permy, or else…_

She left her message unfinished like that because she knew what effect it could do to that idiotic pizza guy, who was now in London for some business, that she (somehow, deep inside her tiny _tiny _heart) considered a friend.

* * *

Two days later, Kokoro Yome stood in the middle of Hyuuga Corp.'s parking lot, waiting for a certain permed-haired woman to come out. The smile on his face brightened when he finally saw her, walking to her car. He then decided to walk up to her.

"Hey."

* * *

Sumire swore that she almost had a heart attack right then and there. She looked over her shoulder and saw a smirking Koko. Feeling the annoyance surging inside her, she punched him on his arms repeatedly.

"I almost had a heart attack, you moron!"

Koko could only chuckle at her antics.

Even more annoyed, she got her handbag and used it to hit him, or whatever part of him that she could reach.

"Hey, Sumire, that kind of hurts, you know―"

"Don't―_**smack**_―call me―_**smack**_―Sumire!"

The man winced when her handbag hit his arm once again. "Ow, that really hurt―"

"How could you―_**smack**_― just go back here―_**smack**_― after making me―_**smack**_― worry so much?"

"Ow! Wait, what?"

Realizing what she said, Sumire turned away and got in her car.

"Wait, Sumire!" Kokoro Yome shouted as he knocked on her tinted window.

"What?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowed with annoyance and irritation because of the man standing outside her car.

"I just want to ask you if you want to go on a dinner with me… again?"

The permed–haired woman was astounded. Then after a while, she couldn't help but smile at him. Sumire then shook her head gently first, before nodding at his direction.

* * *

Mikan Sakura-Hyuuga sighed dreamily, as she sat on her chair. She had just finished her second class for today, and her next class wouldn't be until half an hour later. At last, she could sit on a chair at peace, finally letting her aching legs rest. But it was not the reason why she was on her own private world.

She sighed once again and put a hand under her chin. She could feel the warmth spreading on both her cheeks, as she remembered what had transpired between her and her husband of four months, three weeks, two days and eight hours. Not that she was counting…

The brunette could clearly remember the feel of his mouth against her own, against her heated and flushed skin… his skilled hands felt like heaven as they wandered on her body, exploring every part of it. And his tongue. It did uncountable wonders to her that she thought she would never feel.

_Oh my God_―

"―kan? Mikan! Hello, earth to Mikan?"

Snapping off her dazed state, she looked over her right shoulder to find a very amused Nonoko, with both her hands on her hips. "Daydreaming about your husband, huh?" the blue-haired woman said in a teasing voice.

Mikan blushed, her cheeks turning bright red. She waved her hands in front of her to deny anything. The brunette didn't even try to speak, because she didn't trust her voice when it came to things like this. Well, she was never good at lying.

Nonoko snorted with laughter while shaking her head. Clicking her tongue, she took a seat on her chair beside Mikan's. "Don't worry. I think it's kind of normal. Well, I think it is."

"Normal? What do you mean?"

The bluenette's eyebrows knotted as she thought of an appropriate way to explain her reason. "Hmmm. Well, if I'm married to someone like your husband, you could say that I'll daydream about him every chance I get. Even at _night_."

Mikan giggled and shook her head. She then heard her alarm went off, indicating that she should prepare for her next class.

"See you at lunch, Nonoko-chan," she told her friend as she gathered the things she needed for her next class. She arrived inside the classroom of the class that she needed to teach, when she suddenly remembered that she needed to borrow a book from the library for this class. Excusing herself, she gave her students some work to do and proceeded to go to the library.

It didn't take long for her to reach the building. She then went to the literature section and searched for the book she needed.

_Ah, there. Found it._

"Reo Mouri? Are you _fu_―"

"Mari-chan! Someone might hear you!"

"―_cking _kidding me?"

Mikan frowned when she heard hushed voice not too far away from where she was standing.

_Some students are cutting their classes again. _

She was about to approach and scold them when she heard a very familiar name in their not so secret conversation.

"And Luna Koizumi? Who the hell is Luna Koizumi?"

"Oh, I've read things about her on a magazine once. She's the Koizumi Cosmetics' owner's daughter or something."

The first girl snorted. "So, she's some high society bitch―"

"Mari, don't swear too much!"

"Ughhh. Sorry, but I can't help it. I mean, Reo Mouri is marrying this kind of girl? For real?"

"Oh, you didn't know? A few months ago, there were some rumors that those two were kind of together."

"I know about those rumors. But I didn't believe any of them. And I certainly don't believe this bullshit either!"

Mikan, who was now _very_ interested at the conversation, walked silently to the girls' location to be able to listen to their conversation more clearly. The brunette then peeked through the books and looked at the girls, who were still oblivious to her presence.

"For all you know, Reo Mouri could have knocked her up."

Mikan almost dropped her books when she heard the second girl's statement.

_Of course. Reo Mouri and Luna Koizumi. It only makes sense!, _she thought and frowned. _Wait, who is Reo Mouri again? Errr._

"What?! No! _My_ Reo would never do such a thing―"

It was now that she decided to step into their conversation. She coughed to get both the girls' attention. "I believe that you two should be in your classrooms right now."

The two girls looked stunned when she spoke up, but then they just nodded her head and quietly walked towards the exit of the library to attend their classes.

Mikan shook her head.

Oh well. At least, she had learned a thing of two from some of the students.

_Ahhh. Could this day get any better?_

* * *

Natsume was dead tired when he reached their home, but his tiredness seemed to have vanished when he saw his wife seating on the floor while checking some of the test papers and looking so pretty.

_Ugh._ Could he get mushier?

Shaking his head, he said, "I'm home." He continued to walk near her, forgetting to shut the door close at the sight of her beautiful wife waiting for his return.

_Ugh._ He could still get mushier.

She then looked up and offered him a warm smile. "Oh. Welcome home, Natsume."

The raven-head raised an eyebrow at the woman, when she continued on what she was doing earlier. Plopping on the floor next to her, he whispered, "So, where's my kiss?"

He chuckled when he saw her flushed face.

"Wh-what?"

"My kiss. Where's my kiss?"

"I-Natsu―"

* * *

Natsume had gone home, still looking so handsome. And the next thing Mikan knew, her husband was kissing the hell out of her, making her moan by the way his hands were touching her waiting body.

A few seconds later, the raven-head broke the kiss only to carry her up in his arms. She moaned when her husband gave her wet kisses on her face and her neck.

"Natsume," she gasped, when he sucked on a sensitive skin near her collar bone. "Yo-you―"

"What?" Natsume asked, a hint of annoyance could be heard in his voice.

"The door. I think we should close it―"

The raven-head almost growled. "Leave it," he said and continued on planting kisses on her bare shoulders.

* * *

Kaoru Hyuuga frowned in worry when she came across a very flushed maid on her way to her study.

"What happened?" she asked.

If it was possible, the maid blushed even more. "I-I― Natsume-sama and Mikan-sama. In their room. Noises. I can't. _Ahhhh_!"

The old Hyuuga's frown deepened as she watched the maid ran to who knows where.

She then decided to investigate on what was going on.

* * *

Kaoru Hyuuga almost squealed when she heard the noises inside her son's and his wife's room.

"_Ahh_, Natsume! _Oooh yes_! Right _there_―"

She then moved to close the door shut when she decided that she had already heard enough.

_Ooooh._ Her grandchildren would be arriving at lot sooner than she had originally thought.

* * *

**A/N:** Yeeeey, I've updated. Mwahahaha! Actually, I didn't really plan on updating this. I kind of just typed the scenes that came up into my mind and violaaaa. I ended up writing a whole chapter. Am I awesome or am I awesome? Lalalala~

Sorry for the, uuuh, limey (kind of) scenes. I'm kind of embracing my inner pervert… whateveeeer. HAHAHAHA OTL

Thank you for those who have read and left a review for the last chapter. And for those who have put this story on their alert list. And those who put me on their favorite authors list and on their alert list. Yeey! Virtual cookies all around! :))


	17. Of Lost Rings and Wedding Proposals

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**Warnings:** OOCness, typos and some grammar error's

* * *

_**Every story has an end, but in life, every end is a new beginning.**_

* * *

**Chapter 17: Of Lost Rings and Wedding Proposals**

The green-haired woman stomped her tapped her foot in frustration. It had been two and a half hours and yet, he hadn't showed up.

Sumire then shook her head. She would just go home and rest, instead of wasting her time time waiting for someone who probably wouldn't come.

She stood up, paid for her dinner and left the restaurant where she was to meet Kokoro Yome.

* * *

The continuous knocking on the door woke her up.

Grumbling under her breath, Sumire got up and opened the door and glared at the man standing outside her apartment.

Koko was holding a basket with his right hand, while the other was inside his pocket. He looked handsome and gorgeous as usual, but somehow, he looked tired.

"Hi," he then said, smiling at her.

She crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance. "Do you know what time is it, huh, Yome?"

The man ran his free hand over his sand-colored locks after glancing at his wristwatch. He then smiled sheepily at her before saying, "Uh, it's four thirty in the morning?"

The green-haired woman spout profanities under her breath.

"Uhhh, I'm sorry...?"

Sumire shook her head and looked at the man in front of her. "Never mind. What are you doing here anyway?"

"Actually, I'm here to apologize. I'm sorry I couldn't go to our date last time-"

She cut him off. "It's okay. It's not like I've waited that long for you. I immediately went home when I realized you weren't coming."

Koko raised an eyebrow at her, as if he knew something she didn't. "Really?" he then said in amusement.

"Yes," she replied and glared at him. "Now, go. I'm going to sleep."

"No, wait, Permy―"

He shut up when he glared even harder at him.

"―I mean, Sumire. I'm really sorry. It's just that something came up and I had to fly outside the country to take care of it. I just came back actually, and I came here straight from the airport. I know, after making you wait for almost three hours, you'll be mad at me―"

It was Sumire's turn to raise her eyebrows at him. "How did you know?"

"―and I'm really sorry. Uhhh, a little bird told me? And I'm here to make it up to you." He then smiled sheepily again at her.

_Ugh_, why did he have to look so adorable every time he did that?

"Fine." Sumire shook her head again and opened her door widely to let him in.

"Oh, and please don't tell your boos that I've called her a bird. She wouldn't like it," Koko told her as he laid out the contents of the basket on her kitchen table.

* * *

They were eating quietly when the green-haired woman decided to break the silence.

"Koko?"

"Hmm?" he hummed as a response.

She looked at her plate, not wanting to look at his face. "What are we exactly?" she asked him.

He was silent for a moment, and that made her look at him. And then she saw him, looking at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the world for him, despite her appearance as of the moment. She was still wearing her pajama, her hair was in disarray and her face was bare of make up.

Sumire gently shook head. "What?"

He smiled at her. "What what?"

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing," he replied and continued to eat.

"You haven't answered my question, you know."

"What question?"

She sighed. "What are we exactly?"

"Oh, that."

"Yeah, that."

He didn't answer her question. They continued to eat and drink the wine (which Koko also brought) in silence.

Sumire, annoyed, stood up. She looked at his confused face before telling him, "If you're done eating, pack up and leave. You know the way out. I'm going to sleep."

"Wait."

"What?" she snapped at him.

"I think you're the one who's supposed to answer your own question. What are we exactly, Sumire?"

She stared at him blankly.

Koko stood up and walked near her. "Because for me, I never doubted what you are to me. I never doubted my feelings for you. So answer me now, Sumire. What are we exactly?"

The permed-haired woman sighed. "Well, I'm Sumire Shouda and you're Kokoro Yome. We're both adults―"

He stared at her in amusement.

"―and you're the weirdest man I've ever met. I mean, who works as a pizza guy, a CEO of a multi-billion company and a car racer all at the same time? And you're the first guy ever to notice me and insist that I'm your girlfriend and I didn't like that..."

Koko looked disheartened after hearing her words. She then smiled before continuing.

"...at first. I didn't like it at first. But now, let's say, I got used to you being there for me. And oh my God," she gasped in realization.

"What?" he asked her, a smirk was on his lips.

"I think I'm love with you."

The next thing Sumire knew, Koko was hugging her tightly.

"Finally," he then said. "Took you long to admit it, Permy."

Sumire pinched his sides, and the sandy blonde man just had to break the hug. "Aww, that hurt, Permy!"

"Call me that once again and I'll-"

Chuckling, he pulled her closer once again. "I know. And I love you, too."

She blushed beet red at his words before hugging him closely to her.

* * *

Natsume and Mikan Hyuuga lied on their bed, with only a blanket covering their entwined, naked bodies. The brunette was sleeping soundly in her husband's embrace, whereas Natsume was far from sleepy.

He placed a small kiss on top of his wife's head when he heard her mutter something in her sleep.

"Natsume... love you," she murmured, eyes still closed before snuggling even closer to him.

His eyes were wide with shock, as Natsume felt his heart stop for a moment.

Did she just―

The raven-head looked at her beautiful face and watched her eyes fluster in her sleep.

Oh yes, she did.

Natsume kissed her forehead once again before sighing, his heart, which he swore stopped beating a while ago after hearing her, was now beating wildly against his chest. He then thought of how much she cared about him, even though they didn't like each other when they first met―

(Hell, how could possibly forget? She threw a damned stapler at him!)

―how much she affected his pathetic life and how she made his usual boring days a little more colorful... a little more alive.

And then, right there, he realized, his feelings her. Hell, who was he kidding? He liked her even before they first met.

His mother always reminded him of his arranged marriage and although he had flings here and there, he was never really serious about his past relationships. He continued going out with different women week after week, until his mother gave him a picture of a brunette woman. She was grinning widely at the camera, her brunette locks were in childish pigtails and her right hand was on the end of her right eyebrow in a mocked salute.

He remembered himself smirking at the photograph and keeping it in his wallet.

From then on, he cut his contact with all the women he was playing around with and concentrated on his work in the company instead.

And then, a couple of years later, while he was having one of his _annoyed-at-his-employees series_, she came into his office, her pretty face red with annoyance and anger and he suddenly didn't know what to do. His mind went blank and he almost punched himself when he told her she was ugly.

But oh, she was far from that. Mikan was pretty, beautiful even, but she didn't know that. She probably did, but she didn't make a huge fuss about it.

He masked his amusement as he watched her face contort with irritation as he finished his words. But he regretted it later when she threw that freaking green stapler at him.

That huge bump on his forehead sure made him realize not to annoy her in the future, or to not let her near any staplers of any color or sizes ever again.

Natsume then heard her sigh in her sleep, and that brought her back to her―his reality.

A small smile appeared on his lips when she smiled and murmured his name again.

At that moment, he thought to himself,_ Whatever did I do to deserve this kind of happiness? This kind of love?_

Ah, yes. He might have loved her from the beginning even before they met. And he still loved her and now, and all that was left to do was to tell her.

The crimson-eyed man then closed his eyes and decided to fall asleep.

* * *

He was wide awake, his arms felt numb, but Natsume didn't care. It was half an hour past five in the morning, a bit early for him to wake up, but there he was, lying beside Mikan and watching her sleep.

Natsume Hyuuga often thought of how corny his father sounded when the older Hyuuga when he was still alive, saying that watching his mother sleep was one of his favorite hobbies. His face would contort as he looked at his parents acting all lovey-dovey with each other back when he was still young.

But look at him now, staring at his still sleeping wife lovingly.

A small smile appeared on his lips when she started to move and wake up.

"Good morning, Natsume," she said with a beautiful smile on her face as soon as she saw him.

"Good morning," he replied, before giving her a deep kiss on the lips. He then broke the kiss and stared at her lovingly, as she gently touched his cheeks.

"I love you, Mikan," he then murmured breathlessly against her lips before claiming it again in a heated kiss.

Natsume kissed her when again when she told him she loved him too. He then cupped her cheeks and felt them wet with tears.

On that exact moment, Natsume Hyuuga promised to himself that it would be the last time he would make her cry.

* * *

_That night..._

Ruka Nogi walked back and forth, while clasping his hands together tightly in anxiety, as beads of sweat ran down his handsome face.

To say that he was nervous was an understatement. In fact, he was _very much_ nervous he felt like dying.

The blonde let out the sigh he didn't know he was suppressing and took a look at his wrist watch. It was already quarter to seven in the evening.

Fifteen more minute and Hotaru would arrive at this exact place where he currently was at the moment, a restaurant he reserved just for tonight. Thirty more minutes and he would ask her hand in marriage.

Yes. After his first attempt on proposing to his girlfriend (he tried Reo Mouri's way of proposing which was his original idea, by the way) and its utter failure (the coffee he ordered ended up on his suit and Hotaru just stared at him before heartlessly walking away), he would try again tonight.

The velvet box which encases the ring he picked himself seemed to burn a hole inside his trousers as the cerulean-eyed man but his lower lip and took it out before calling a waiter.

"Here's the ring," he nervously told the man, his hands gently shaking as the waiter in front of him gave Ruka a sympathetic smile. "Put it in her wine glass when I give you the signal."

The waiter nodded and excused himself.

Ruka Nogi looked at his wristwatch again. Barely five minutes had passed. Ten minutes more minutes until Hotaru's supposed arrival.

He then breathed out a sigh once again to calm himself. A few moments after, his phone rang and Ruka didn't even bother to look at his phone to identify who the caller was.

"Hello?"

"Ruka," Hotaru's soft, velvety voice said in reply.

"Hmm?"

"You're going to propose tonight, aren't you?"

...

...

...

_Silence._

What the actual fuck―

"H-How did y―"

"You reserved a whole restaurant."

"Wha-What?"

"I should be the one asking you a question, Nogi."

"But how did you find out?" he asked her breathlessly.

"It doesn't matter. I'm arriving in a few minutes. Oh, and Ruka?"

"Yes, Hotaru?"

"You better not put the ring anywhere near my food _or_ my drinks," she said and immediately ended the call.

Ruka Nogi visibly paled and ran towards the kitchen hall.

* * *

"What do you mean it's gone?"

"Gone! Missing, sir! I'm _so_ sorry, Mr. Nogi, sir. I didn't mean to lose the ring. It was just there, I swear. And it's suddenly gone. Like magic. I―"

"Well then, find it! I'm sure it'll appear at the same place where you left it. _Like magic_!" he said sarcastically, his voice louder than usual.

The waiter, the one he called earlier, was shaking in fear as he nodded harshly at Ruka's command.

The blonde ran his palm down his face in frustration. Nothing was going right for him tonight.

* * *

Their hostess for the night had already announced Hotaru's arrival, and yet, the ring was still nowhere to be found.

Feeling dejected, Ruka Nogi sat the chair opposite where his girlfriend sat, waiting for him. He guessed he would just cancel his proposal for tonight, get a new ring and try again some other time.

Like everyone said, third time's the charm.

_Bah_.

"Hotaru, I-I'm sorry―"

The raven-head raised an eyebrow at him. "What? You already changed your mind?"

"What? No! Never!" was his immediate answer. He bowed his head in embarrassment and stared at his still empty plate. "It's just that―"

Hotaru Imai reached out her left hand to touch his before saying, "I haven't eaten anything and I'm getting hungry and you're acting like that?"

The blonde then took notice of her left hand and saw the ring that was supposed to be missing.

Surprised and confused, he looked at Hotaru's face.

A small smile appeared on her pretty face as she retrieved her outstretched arm and gently touched the ring on her ring finger.

"I just thought of putting matters in my own hands. Not quite literally, but yeah."

Did Hotaru just make a joke...? Moreover, did Hotaru just proposed to him?

Ruka audibly groaned and slumped back on his seat. He felt like all of his energy was drained out of him.

"You're going to be the death of me, Hotaru Imai."

He heard her chuckle. "I could only wish, Ruka. So?"

The blonde looked at his girlfriend. "So what?"

She sighed. "Are you going to ask me the question or not?"

Ruka blinked once, twice, as he looked at her. "Aren't you hungry? Let's eat first―"

"Are you or are you not, Nogi?"

His immediate response was kneeling on both his knees beside her, his face nearing hers.

Hotaru let out a cough when their hostess inwardly squealed at the scene her boyfriend was making. "Nogi, stand up or I swear I'll―"

He cut off her sentence. "No, you have to listen to me," he then said, his cerulean-eyes now full of the confidence he clearly lacked earlier.

The blonde let out a deep sigh before saying, "Hotaru Imai, I've been in love with you for a few years now, ever since we were in college―"

"College? I thought you were in love with my best friend back then?"

"Don't interrupt me, dear. And no, I may have had a little crush on Mikan back then, but it's you I fell in love with.

"You had me at once glance, Hotaru Imai. With just one look at you, I know my heart will never beat the same way for someone every again. With just one look at you, I see my future―_our_ future together. I know that sounds creepy and weird, but yeah. I simply don't care," he paused for a while before reaching out to touch her hand before continuing. "And with just one look at you, I know you'll have my heart forever."

He wiped a lone tear that escaped her eye before saying, "Hotaru Imai, will you marry me?"

She smiled at him and nodded.

And Ruka Nogi couldn't remember ever seeing how beautiful she looked right now, with tears flowing down her face and that smile on her lips. He then slowly leaned in and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Now, stand up and let's eat. I'm hungry," she quickly told him.

Shaking his head, the blonde returned to his seat with a careless smile now on his face.

"I love you, Hotaru," he then said.

"I know."

"You love me, too. I 'm sure of it," he playfully teased her as their hostess served them their meals.

(When did they place their orders? Ruka couldn't remember. He was too happy at this exact moment.)

"That's exactly why I'm going to marry you."

"You're not going to marry me because I'm hot?"

Hotaru snorted at him before looking at his handsome face. "I'll marry you because you're an idiot and you need a genius like me beside you. Now eat."

Ruka grinned at her.

He could swear that it was the most delicious dinner he ever had in his entire life.

* * *

"What?! You and Ruka are now engaged! Oh my gosh! Natsume_eeeee_!"

His husband's head poked out of the bathroom door. "What?" he asked confusedly.

"Hotaru and Ruka are now engaged―"

_"Don't shout, idiot. You're too loud. My ears hurt,"_ Hotaru said on the other line.

"―and the wedding will be in a few months! Oh, I'm so happy!"

Natsume gently shook his head and went back to taking a bath. His wife, however, continued to talk with her phone still on her ear.

"I really am happy for you, Hotaru! Finally―! _Uhhh_, Hotaru? Hotaru? Hello?"

* * *

Four months later, the wedding took place. Ruka and Hotaru said their vows to each other at the church where the blonde's parents married each other.

His mother, together with Hotaru's mother and also Mikan, shed their tears as they watched the newlywed couple share their very first kiss as husband and wife.

During the reception, a lot of people congratulated the couple. Jana and Fie Tobita were one of them, who came together with their uncle and his new girlfriend, Nonoko.

(Yuu and Nonoko met in the hospital a few months back, when the said woman went to the hospital when one of her students had an asthma attack.)

Hotaru looked around the crowd and frowned when she didn't see Sumire around. Come to think of it, Koko was also missing.

"Hotaru," her husband called her, "if you're looking for your secretary and Mr. Yome, they're probably making out somewhere around here."

"You knew about them?"

Ruka just smiled and nodded. "Of course, dear."

Surprisingly, Reo and Luna Mouri (they got married a month ago) were also invited and had also wished the Nogi couple good luck on their marriage life.

Everyone was busy on congratulating the newlyweds when Natsume's voice was suddenly heard, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"I'm going to be a dad! I'm going to be a dad!" he exclaimed excitedly and hugged his wife tightly in happiness.

The whole reception hall turned silent.

Mikan's father looked at his daughter and her husband happily. "I'm going to be a grandpa!" he then said before fainting.

Yuka worriedly fussed over her husband after congratulating her daughter and her husband. She then looked at her best friend, Kaoru, who, it turned out, was also lying on the floor, out cold.

Snapping out of it, everyone clapped and congratulated the Hyuuga couple.

Hotaru softly smiled. "Look at them, stealing our moment."

The blonde gently kissed her temple and hugged her closer. "I know. But look at how happy they are. Who would have thought, right?"

The raven-head shook head. Ruka was right though. _Who would have thought?_

* * *

A woman in her early twenties looked at her surroundings and nodded in approval.

She gatecrashed the wedding, wearing a pair of denim shorts and a shirt with her glasses on her eyes, but no one had told her to leave so she didn't.

She looked at how happy everyone was and mischievously grinned.

Yes, another chapter of their life had just ended, but a new one was waiting to be written, waiting to be read.

The woman left, with that grin still on her face.

_A new beginning was waiting for all of them_, she thought and skipped and hopped as she swayed her hands at the same time.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **So that's it. That's the end of this story. The epilogue is all that's left to be written. I'll mark this completed after adding the epilogue though XD

Thank you for everyone who added this story on their alert and favorite list and to those who reviewed. Thank you so _so_ much! Hugs and kisses to everyone *o*

So, review? For old time's sake? :)) guess who's the woman in the last scene? Hahaha!

**Edit: **I kinda forgot about Sumire and Koko hahaha I'm gonna write a scene about them and I'll add it here when I'm finished XD

**Edit. Again: **So I've deleted chapter I've published before so that I could add SumirexKoko scenes. Aren't they cute? Hihi. Sorry for the grammatical errors or typos. I'll fix them. Soon. I just don't know when XD


	18. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**Warnings:** OOCness, typos and some grammar error's

* * *

_**Beginnings are usually scary and endings are usually sad,  
but it's everything in between that makes it all worthwhile.**_

* * *

The woman sat in front of her laptop, her eyes narrowing at the monitor. She then flexed her wrists from side to side and made the joints on her fingers pop.

A grin appeared on her face as she begun typing…

* * *

**Epilogue: Six Years Later**

A little girl, five years of age, came running towards his father, Natsume Hyuuga, who was leaning on his car and waiting for his family.

Oh, yes. He was going to fetch his wife and her daughter from school (Mikan was still working as a teacher and their daughter just started kindergarten on the same school where she worked a few months ago) and they were going to have a dinner together tonight. Well, at least, that was what Natsume had in his mind.

He was startled, to say the least, when he saw his lovely daughter, _crying_. Large droplets of tears seemed to endlessly fall from her crimson eyes.

Akari, the little girl, then hugged his father's leg tightly and continued crying.

The raven-head sighed and touched the little girl's head softly, before kneeling down and wiping his daughter's wet cheeks.

"What's wrong, Akari?" he then asked.

The little girl just stared at him, tears, still falling from her eyes.

"Come on. Tell me what's wrong."

"Ha―Haru-kun pulled my pigtail today. And he tripped me," she answered, her disarrayed brown locks clutched on her tiny hand. "Look, daddy! My knee is _bee_― _leed_― _ugh_. There is b_uh_lood in my knee!"

"Bleeding, Akari. Your knee is bleeding. And it's blood. Have you gone to the clinic yet?"

The child quietly shook her head and sniffed.

Natsume quickly got up and motioned to search for this Haru-kun. "That kid. Tell me who he is and I'm gonna―"

"You're gonna what, honey?" Mikan said, cutting off her husband's words.

"Nothing," the raven-head quickly answered. "Oh. Akari is hurt. Some Haru kid pushed her."

Mikan placed a gentle kiss on his cheek before turning her attention to their daughter. "You're hurt, sweetheart?"

Akari nodded and suddenly burst into tears again.

Daddy Natsume knotted his forehead at his wife. "You're not even angry?"

"Why would I be angry?"

The raven-haired man theatrically gasped. "Some kid pushed our daughter and now she's hurt, Mikan."

The brunette sighed. "Natsume honey, it comes with playing, okay? Haru-kun must have been carried away while they were playing a while ago."

"Akari still got hurt. And who's this Haru anyway?"

"He's a boy in my class and almost a year older than Akari. He's also Luna-san's son."

"Koizumi's son?!" he exclaimed.

"She's Luna Mouri now, honey."

Natsume shrugged. "Hn."

"And you know what?"

"What?"

Mikan smiled mischievously. "It seems like little Haru-kun has taking a liking on our Akari-chan~"

Natsume blinked. Once. Twice. _Thrice._ His wife's words then suddenly sunk into his mind. "I won't allow it!" he suddenly shouted at the top of his voice.

Giggling, the brunette tapped her husband's shoulder as comfort. "Fine, fine. Now, let's take our daughter to Subaru-nii-san's place to get her checked."

The raven-head harshly sighed. "Fine," he then said, before turning towards his car. He then took a glance of his family who were now inside the car with him (Mikan sat on the passenger seat next to him, while little Akari was seating at the back, quietly blowing on the wound on her knee.)

"I still won't allow it," he whispered to no one as he put the car engine into life.

* * *

"You don't have to worry, Natsume. It's just a scrape. It will heal few days from now. Just remember to apply the ointment, the one I gave Mikan, daily to prevent scarring."

Natsume Hyuuga breathed a sigh of relief as he heard what his older cousin had told him. Apparently, the wound on his daughter's knee was nothing dangerous and deadly.

_Thank Kami._

Call him over-protective or exaggerated or what-not, but when it came to his daughter, he'd do anything―

"Subaru-nii!" a frantic Ruka entered the older Imai's office. His blonde hair was messy, a few buttons on his dress shirt were missing and his necktie was out of place.

It was out of Ruka's character to go on a public place looking like, errr… _that_. Like someone had originally planned to murder him, but ultimately failed.

"What?" Subaru then calmly answered.

"Hotaru's in labor!"

The two-raven-heads gave the blonde a stern look. "Figures," they both said a few second later.

* * *

"Mommy," little Akari said, while staring at the colorful band-aid plastered on her injured knee.

Mikan hummed as she combed her daughter's locks. Akari was seated on her lap, while they were inside Hotaru's private room (Hotaru was still in labor, the room was prepared for her to use after she had given birth). (Also, Natsume and Subaru was with Ruka. You know, for moral support. Err, yeah.)

"Uncle Ruka said that Aunt Hotaru will have a baby soon, right?"

"Yes, honey."

"I'm just curious. Did Aunt Hotaru eat the baby?"

Mikan almost laughed at her daughter's question. "No, baby," she answered, a wide smile forming on her lips, as she tied her daughter's hair into pigtails once again.

"Then why is her tummy so big?"

"That's because the baby is living inside Aunt Hotaru's tummy. And now, the baby is going to come out to live with Aunt Hotaru and Uncle Ruka."

Akari frowned. "But how could that be? How could the baby breathe inside Aunt Hotaru's stomach?"

Mikan gently pinched her daughter's little nose. "That's just how it is, sweetheart."

The door then suddenly opened and a very happy-looking Ruka, with tears of joy streaming down his face, entered.

"It's a boy! It's a boy!" he shouted with glee before fainting.

* * *

Ruka Nogi was having the time of his life. He had a son now, and there was absolutely nothing else that he could ask for. He gently looked down on the little bundle in his arms.

Kei Nogi was sleeping soundly in his father's arms. He looked so tiny and fragile and so pretty, all at the same time.

Ruka then heard his wife snicker at the background a few moments later.

"What is it, Hotaru?" he asked.

The raven-head sighed before looking at him.

"Permy sent me a text message. She said she won't be coming to work for a while because she's upset. Something about her and Yome breaking up. _Again_."

Ruka grinned. "How many time have they broken up in the last six years?"

Hotaru rolled her eyes. She didn't look like she had undergone almost eight hours of labor and had given birth just a day ago. "Don't get me started on that, Ruka."

She was then cut off by her cellphone's message alert tone. She raised an eyebrow at her handheld device before turning to her husband.

"Ruka."

"What, dear?" he answered, as he continued to look lovingly at their son, who was yawning so adorably that time.

"Get me a new secretary by tomorrow."

Now, that got Ruka Nogi's full attention. He frowned before looking at his wife. "Why?"

"Permy resigned. Yome proposed to her. She said yes."

"They're getting married?"

Hotaru nodded.

The blonde man grinned. "Finally," he then said.

"I know, right."

* * *

_Subaru and nurse Ingrid got married three years ago. But their marriage didn't last long and they decided to file a divorce a few months ago. They didn't have a child during their married years because of their jobs (cough Subaru's job cough) and they decided to go their separate ways after deciding they've had enough._

_Well, nothing really lasts forever, right?_

* * *

_Yuu and Nonoko's relationship was currently on the rocks, but the two were trying their hardest to hold onto each other._

* * *

_Youichi was still Youichi._

* * *

_And Mochiage was still Mochiage. Except that he owned a number of companies on this story. And he wasn't really mentioned that much. Lol._

* * *

_Misaki Harada, Hotaru Nogi's new secretary, punched Tsubasa on the face when they first met. (The latter was supposed to be Hotaru's substitute as Hyuuga Corp.'s Finance Department Head, as Hotaru was still recuperating from childbirth a few days ago.)_

_I smeel something… _interesting _going on here._

_Hmmm. _

**THE END YAAAAAY.**

* * *

**A/N: **YAAAAAAAY IT'S FINALLY COMPLETE YAAAAY LET'S PARTEEEEEEEY

After three years, this story is finally complete! I can't believe it! *sobs endlessly* Thanks to all those people who added this story on their alert and favourite list, people who left reviews and to those people who added me to their alert and favourite list. Once again, thank you! :D

I've met a lot of people through FCMTSCL and made good friends because of it. I'm happy I wrote and published this story here on FFN :)

As for Luna's happy ending… Even villains and bad guys (and girls) deserve their own happy endings. I mean, if I were to be a villain, I know I'll want someone to accept and love me for what I am… for who I am. And that I'll never stop believing that there's someone reserved for a person like me. Maybe he's just stuck on a traffic jam somewhere in this world. Lol.

So yeah. Thank you once again~!

Review for the last time? :)

_**It's not an end, but an and. –Park Leeteuk**_


End file.
